Nau Din Chale Addhai Kose!
Northlines Correspondent
Jammu Tawi, Oct 19: This seventeenth century adage fits appropriately to the work culture in Jammu and Kashmir irrespective of whether the work is sponsored by the state or centre.
During the last two decades, the erstwhile Jammu Kashmir state (now UT) has seen many new roads and bridges constructed under various packages, mostly under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), which have been allotted to different contractors, many times ineligible, who first procure the big contracts using influence and then rope in the third parties as financer or partners in the project in violation of norms.
The episode relates to the construction of a Span Deck Type Steel Motorable Bridge at RD 375-425 on Dhar Road from Baryalta to Plaiter in Majalta block sanctioned in the year 2011-12 by the central government under the Prime Minister Gram Sadak Yojna (PMGSY), that could not meet its objective being non-functional as the connecting approach roads on both sides of the bridge have yet to be completed for unspecified and unknown reasons.
The procedural delays and the selection process of contractor for which J&K has earned enough notoriety, consumed 4-5 years when the Superintending Engineer, PMGSY, Circle Reasi-Udhampur issued a letter to proceed on work to the Contractors, M/s Tariq Murtaza Yasin on April 12, 2016.
With initial sanctioned length of 40 meters later changed to 47 meters span at the cost of Rs. 137.90 lakh, the said Bridge was to be completed within nine months.
But here in J&K, true to the spirit of ‘centre proposes J&K disposes’ the project moved on a Snail’s pace and could not get completed till September 2021 while as the Executive Engineer concerned certified on 18.11.2020 that barring the approaches from both sides the construction work of 47 mtrs span bridge stands completed. He subsequently released Rs. 1, 23, 83, 000 in five instalments the last being on 30.04.2021 to the Contractor. However, PMGSY official website shows the said project at serial 82 (JK-143410) and its completion date 17.09.2021.
The Motorable Bridge at Baryalta to Plaiter was sanctioned to facilitate the movement of over 3100 inhabitants of Jaguual, Jansal and Haripur to Plaiter under PMGSY. But call it inconsistency, insincerity, laziness or corruption on the part of officials of PMGSY officials, or corruption on the part of the contractors, the end result is the same as always – the public has to pay the price for it and this case the people of the area has to suffer for ten long years and they are still suffering not only for the incomplete approaches connecting the bridge but for a long stretch of further earth-cut muddy road. Complaints/representations have been made on a regular basis but PMGSY officials seldom pay attention to such concerns and complaints. No stern or disciplinary action against the alleged defaulting officials and contractors has been taken till date. The local people have complained of corruption within the department in league with the contractors to whom the projects are allotted.
The officials of PMGSY rather walked an extra mile in condoning the inordinate delays in completion of work and releasing payment to the defaulting contractors without imposing any penalty – a binding clause normally a part of the tender and the works agreement.
Hans Raj, Sarpanch of Jansal Panchayat, the beneficiary Panchayat comprising four villages, said that the people of the area have been suffering a lot for decades for non-connectivity by road despite tall official claims. Long wait of the people seems never ending. Sharing a latest photograph of the Bridge, he said though the Bridge has been belatedly made, the approach patches are still not filled and levelled with that of bridge and the side bumps are yet to be filled and the boulder pitching of the earth works at the approach is incomplete.
Another representative of Mansar Panchayat, Kirpal Singh expressed similar views on the issue.
The Executive Engineer, PMGSY, Ramnagar Division, Satish Bhagat, however, confirmed that the work of the Bridge at Brayalta has been completed and the Part B of the project pertaining to the approaches on both sides of the bridge is also complete barring blacktopping. Regarding the delay in the completion of the project, he said that such delay may be attributed to various pleas and the Liquidated Damages Clause might have been condoned by the higher authorities in the case. The officer also attributed the delay during the last leg of completion in 2020 to a legal tussle between the original contractor on official record and one Karan Singh who claimed to be a lateral inductee as another partner and who unnecessarily dragged the issue to the court.
He however, confirmed that payment against the ‘approaches work’ of Rs. 6.28 lakh and the performance security of 2.5 per cent of the project cost has not yet been released to the contractors.
Attempts to ascertain the views of the contractors, M/s Tariq Murtaza Yasin could not materialize due his available phone being ‘Not Reachable’. One Karan Singh who claims to be the partner in the firm M/s Tariq Murtaza Yasin and who has entangled the firm into a legal dispute, gave a new twist, by accusing the Executive Engineer, PMGSY, Ramnagar for irregularities and releasing the payment to other partner of the firm despite the court orders of Sub-Judge (CJM) Jammu on August 10, 2020 for restraining the release of the outstanding payment to Tariq Murtaza Yasin. He further said that the Principal District Judge, Jammu also ordered the status quo on the release of the balance outstanding payments pertaining to the project.
Karan Singh said that the Chief Engineer PMGSY, Jammu and the Executive Engineers, PMGSY, Ramnagar have released three instalments of Rs. 28 lakh on Dec. 16, 2020; Rs. 11,70,000 on 14.04.2021and Rs. 15,69,000 on 30.04.2021 in violation of restraining orders of the courts passed and duly served in June and August 2020 and despite the fact that the project was still incomplete. Notably, another project costing Rs. 4.5 Cr under PMGSY for constructing 11 Km of road from Nagulta to Razar in Chenani block allotted to the same contractor on 24th June, 2017 is still shown lingering in official records.
He said such dare-devil and brazen acts of violating the court orders cannot be done without material considerations worth indulging into the contempt of the courts, which he said has already been initiated by him. He further accused the Executive Engineer, PMGSY, Ramnagar of contempt of court and for covering up the deficiencies, extra-ordinary delays, manipulations and malpractices in the construction of the PMGSY Bridge at Brayalta.
The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) is a nationwide plan in India to provide good all-weather road connectivity to unconnected villages.
