J&K seeks extension in deadline for completion of WB-funded project

Wants to push timeline for its completion to June 30, 2022

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir administration has sought one more extension in deadline for completion of the Rs 1500 crore World Bank funded project in the Union Territory.

Apprehensive about meeting June 30, 2021 deadline for closing the project, the project monitoring unit of the project has written to the Union Finance Ministry to accord sanction for completion of the project till June 30, 2022.

“Secretary Department of Economic Affairs requested for extension of Jehlum Tawi Flood Recovery Project till 30 June 2022 without any cancellation of sub-projects,” read the documents in possession of The Precious Kashmir.

It is pertinent to mention that original closing date for the project was June 30, 2021. But the World Bank and Union Finance Ministry extended timeline for its completion to June 30, 2021 after J&K administration sought more time, citing  “peculiar circumstances” and “adverse weather conditions” in the UT.

According to progress report of the project, so far 185 packages of the project have been  awarded for Rs 1563 crore .

It states that 83 sub-projects costing Rs.212.14 crore are  under evaluation while one sub-project costing Rs 39 crore is under tendering.

As many as 39 works amounting to Rs.73.92 crore have been completed while 146 are in progress, the report states.

“10 sub-projects costing about $19.688 USD million liable for cancellation. These at different stages of allotment,” the report card of the project states.

The project was sanctioned by the World Bank in 2015 for reconstruction of the infrastructure hit by the devastating deluge of 2014 and strengthening the state’s disaster management mechanism.

After the deluge, the World Bank deputed a team for assessing the losses and to explore the possibilities for its intervention in rebuilding the damaged infrastructure.

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