R&B fails to clear contractor’s liability worth Rs 15 cr
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, Feb 11: The longest bridge in Northern India over river Chenab at Pargwal in Khour Sub Division of Jammu district, bordering Pakistan, has jumped even second deadline of December 2021 as even after the passage of three years and four months, hardly 30 % work has been executed on it while the executing agency is reluctant to resume work after April 2020 as PW(R&B) agency failed to clear its liability worth Rs 15 crores.
Official sources told the Excelsior that work on this vital bridge was started in September 2018 by the contracting agency, a joint venture of M/s VKG & Associates and M/s MBZ Constructions- Chandigarh and Ukraine based agencies. The PW(R&B) Department is monitoring the overall works of this important bridge project. As per the agreement, the J&K Government had given 30 months time to the joint venture companies to complete the work, by March 2021. Unfortunately, the work has been abandoned by the contractors for the last about 22 months, but the J&K UT Administration has totally failed to release the payments and get the work resumed on this strategically important bridge.
Sources further revealed that since very beginning, the progress of work on this very vital bridge as per defence point of view, has remained at snail’s pace. There is no proper monitoring of this bridge by the senior officers at the helm of affairs. Had the pace of work remained satisfactory, the bridge would have been functional since last about one year. It is again surprising to observe that the R&B authorities have avoided the mandatory, third party monitoring by any independent agency having expertise in the field for this important road bridge, in clear violation of MoRTH guidelines, the sources added.
While the senior engineers of the R&B Department Jammu, connected with the project have attributed the delay in the execution of work to very poor flow of funds for this CRF aided project, the locals of the area have claimed that the contracting agency staff and workers who left the site before lock down during March 2020, were not seen executing work since then. Only a few watchmen/ supervisors of the company are seen there at the site besides abandoned machinery. The work has been totally abandoned and not resumed till today. The contracting agency is reluctant to resume work as it is demanding payment of the executed works, the sources maintained.
As already reported by the Excelsior this longest bridge in Northern India, considered to be very vital as per defence point of view, being constructed over river Chenab in Pargwal area of Akhnoor Sector under Central Road Fund (CRF), was initially expected to be completed by March 2021 as the agency R&B was quite hopeful to meet the deadline fixed by the Government. With the completion and commissioning of this 1640 mts concrete double-lane bridge, over 40 villages and nearly three dozens of hamlets of the Pargwal area which is exposed to frequent Pakistani firing from two sides and one side from river Chenab, will have direct connectivity to the Khour Sub Divisional headquarters.
The people of this area were struggling for the last over three decades for the construction of this bridge. During Pakistani shelling, only one single road connecting Pargwal with Jammu-Akhnoor highway at Suyya No. I, serves as life line for the people. But some times this population of over 25,000-30,000 souls remain cut off during heavy shelling from Pakistani side as this only road is closer to border at several points and this bridge would provide them a vital outlet at the time of crisis. The bridge would also reduce the distance between Pargwal and Khour Tehsil/Sub- Divisional headquarters from 55 kms to hardly 14 kms.
A senior engineer connected with the project said there will be 40 piers of this double- lane 12 mts wider bridge, having 1.5 mt foot paths on both sides. The total height of the pier will be 38 ft while 26 ft will remain in the river bed. Each span will have 42 mts length. He said the Union Ministry of Road Transport & Highways had sanctioned this 1640 mt long bridge project worth Rs 206 crore on January 18, 2016. The work was authorised by the State R&B department to the JKPCC on April 16, 2016. As per the CRF guidelines, national e-tender was issued but the JKPCC failed to finalise the tenders and wasted nearly two years in the process. Then again, the Government asked R&B Department to take up the work and float new tenders.
Chief Engineer, PW(R&B) Jammu, Manzoor Hussain when contacted said that since April 2020, the work on this bridge has been suspended due to non-payment to the contractor. He said the second reason of suspension of work was Covid situation. He said the workers amid COVID left for their respective places.
Citing main reason of delay, the Chief Engineer said due to non-release of funds by the Union Government the work has been abandoned by the contractor. The Department tried to pursue the contractor VKG of Chandigarh but he is reluctant to resume work. There is a liability of nearly Rs 15 crore of the contractors. The department has paid over Rs 3 crores so far. The matter was taken up with the higher authorities several times and now this CRF project has been shifted under languishing projects.
Executive Engineer, R&B Construction Div No-III Jammu, Ramesh Singh said about 30% work has been executed so far over this bridge. Out of the 40 piers, 36 have almost been completed. On four piers work is yet to be started. He said the contractor claims that he would immediately start work when the Government clears his pending payment of Rs 15 crores. He said about 90% work of sub-structure has been finished and super-structure work is yet to be launched, followed by work on approach roads.
When asked whether agency would be able to complete the work by one year if funds are provided smoothly ahead, another senior engineer said, “It is not possible to complete it by March 2023 even under given circumstances. First deadline was March 2021 (30 months). They gave second, December 2021 deadline, which also expired. Till now, hardly 28-30 % work has been executed. If the adequate funds were provided regularly, the work is likely to be completed by June next year,” the R&B engineer claimed.
He further said that joint venture of two construction companies from Chandigarh and Ukraine having good expertise in the field has secured this bridge contract worth Rs 119.67 crores. There will be nearly 3 kms and 600 mts approach roads on both sides of the bridge besides some protection works, upstream. This bridge will be of vital importance for the border security agencies and for the movement of troops to the forward locations in Pargwal, Khour, Chhamb and Pallanwalla sub sectors at the time of crisis.
Unfortunately, for the last about seven months this project was shifted under Languishing Projects but till today, no progress could be seen under this sector as well.
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