Agencies
Srinagar, Sep 23: As the Governor administration has decided to raise a loan of eight thousand crore rupees for completion of the languishing projects, the Power Development Department has turned its back on the contractors who had undertaken various developmental projects under Chief Minster’s Commitment Program last year.
Reliable sources told Kashmir News Service that about Rs 8 crores have been withheld by PDD for various works under CM commitment Program in district Bandipora alone. Official communications reveal that most of the works have been completed. But the contractors rue that due to the collapse of Mehbooba Mufti led PDP-BJP government, the funds for these schemes have been stopped and the department was resorting to hide and seek tactics.
According to the documents in possession of KNS, all these works have been undertaken under proper procedure and through e-tendering but soon after the fall of the government the fund flow came to a halt resulting in not only the hardships of contractors who had invested heavily on the projects but also the fate on the ongoing projects.
Sources said that majority of the projects taken in Sonawari area of the Bandipora district have been either completed or are nearing completion but barring a few, the major chunk of the funds are stuck. Sources said many communications have been doing rounds on the tables from Superintending Engineer of the circle to even Governor’s Advisor but none of the authorities are taking a call on the release of the pending required funds.
The communication sent by District Superintending Engineer Gnaderbal Circle vide Number SE/MRE/GBL/Ts/1990-94 Dated 02-08-2018 reads that the Work Done liability of the projects undertaken under Chief Minster’s Commitment during 2017-18 in district Bandipora for PDD is two crore Ninety Two lakh and twenty two thousand, and the funds required to complete the ongoing projects under the scheme is 7 crore 97 lakhs.
As per the official communication, the work done liability has piled up. In Bandipora, under CM Commitment, department had set the estimated cost for Providing 300 electric poles along with HT/LT network for Sonawari constituency as 63.41 lakhs , but did not get single penny as yet. Similarly PDD was to ensure to electrify Dangarnar by 31st December, 2017 and the estimated cost was 12.42 lakhs, the amount released for this work stands Zero.
In Bankoot area, the PDD was to provide 100 poles along with HT/LT network under CM commitment and the estimated cost was 18.53 but not a single rupee has been released up till now. PDD was asked to upgrade substation Sheikh Mohallah Quil from 63 KV to 100 Kv and that too within 15 days from the date then Chief Minster made the commitment, the estimated cost of the project was 11.38 lakhs, the department received nothing against the estimated cost.
Meanwhile contractors said that they had approached to Governor’s advisor who has written to Chief Engineer to look into the matter. They urged Governor to release their pending payments so that they do not suffer anymore.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Kashmir Monitor staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
