Jammu, Nov 13: Giving a fillip to developmental projects, Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir have become number one in Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna (PMGSY) as several projects worth crores of Public Works have been completed in the past three months since August 7 after Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha took over the regime.
Official sources here on Friday said that since August 7, Public Work was given a push across the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
“As many as 110 projects have been completed under Languishing Project Scheme and expenditure to the tune of Rs150 crores has been incurred,” they asserted and added that in Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojna (PMGSY), Jammu and Kashmir has become number one region among all states and Union Territories in the country.
Further sharing details, sources told UNI that road length of 1,600 Kilometres was achieved and expenditure to the tune of Rs 600 Crores has been incurred and 140 schemes have been completed, adding, “besides these achievements, the UT administration has given major push to blacktopping of roads and making entire road network pot-hole free”.
Since August 7, per day 30 km roads length has been blacktopped in Jammu and Kashmir, they said and added that up-gradation, improvement and re-surfacing of Mughal Road of length 84 Km was taken up at an estimated cost of Rs 47.41 crores.
Official sources further said, “construction of 84.110 km long Mughal Road was conceived during 2005 connecting Shopian district in Kashmir Province with Buffliaz in Poonch district of Jammu Province in order to provide an alternate link to the existing Srinagar-Jammu National Highway (NH-44) and for up scaling people to people contact on both sides of the Pir-Panjal range and facilitate and accelerate economic development of the Rajouri-Poonch-Shopian axis.”
The project was completed in December 2012 at a cost of Rs 639.85 cr with a Defect Liability Period of 18 months, they said and added that since then no re-surfacing on the said road has been done but the up-gradation work has been taken up recently and is in progress.
“Nearly 80 percent of up-gradation and resurfacing of work has been completed and the balance work shall be completed by June, 2021,” they said.
However, on pothole free roads, they said that the action plan from UT headquarter to District headquarter, inter-District roads and roads from District headquarter to Sub-division, Tehsil, Block headquarter has been formulated at an estimated cost of Rs 200 cr while as many as 110 projects have been completed under Languishing Project Scheme and expenditure to the tune of Rs 150 cr has also been incurred.
As per details, 1,500 km of the road length have been blacktopped under various schemes viz Cities and Towns, Road Sector, NABARD, CRIF, Languishing Project etc, approval regarding CRIF Projects with physical completion of 50 per cent to 79 per cent and other important projects has been taken up with Finance Department which awaits release of funds.
Moreover, sources said that the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) has agreed in principle, the UT Government proposal for providing toilet facility as suitable places on National Highways in J&K.
Meanwhile 250 projects including 212 of different roads, and 38 bridges have been completed under PMGSY and Languishing Project schemes, besides 500 works of macdamization have been completed, sources said and added, “expenditure @ Rs10 Crores has been incurred per day since August 7, however further payments is under process.”
“Public Work (Road and Buildings) Department is the premier Agency of Government of Jammu & Kashmir engaged in Planning, Designing, Construction and Maintenance of Government assets like Roads, Bridges, Flyovers and Buildings,” they added.
Official sources said that the Department has been facing problem of monitoring of various ongoing works, adding, “the complaints from time to time have also been received regarding mismanagement at ground level and in order to streamline the overall working of the department, it envisages to shift from Manual working to online working through a centralized web-based portal.”
The process has begun for online working that ensure transparency, accountability of contractors and works executed by them which remains a critical part in qualification bid of tender, Maintenance of Roads, Bridges and Buildings etc and this project will be completed in the next 4 to5 months.
