Hardly any project in the state is completed within the fixed time. Even the projects that the government identifies as priority or flagship projects fail meeting the time schedules.  Not to talk of major schemes, even smaller projects that in normal course could be completed within a year or two take  decades for completion. There are instances that after expending Crores of rupees scores of projects have been abandoned halfway in the past without assigning any cogent reasons.  Many important projects that would add to prestige of the state have also been suffering the delaying tactics of the constructing agencies. One such project is a prestigious centre for learning and central library on M.A. Road. This centre founded in 2003, has not been completed even after nine years, and construction cost because of the delay has increased manifold.    Delaying with a design for ensuring escalation in the construction costs in fact has become work culture in all the state owned constructing agencies including Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation. These agencies have no respect even for the urgencies of the government. One of the brazen expression of this culture was the  State’s Health and Medical Education Department (H&ME) missing  the 15-day deadline   to prepare Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the construction of 250-bed children and 200-bed maternity hospitals at Bemina, Sringar.  In the wake of public rage against increasing child mortality in the G.B. Pant Children’s Hospital, in the B.B. Cantonment area the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had approved the proposal for construction of two hospitals and had given two weeks time for finalizing construction plan along with the DPR. The Union Health Minister for Health was publicly committed for providing liberal assistance to it as soon as the state comes up with the DPR.  But so far the agency has failed to come up come up with the DPR.  With this pace the Detailed Project Report will take more than six months and it will take decades for constructing Children’s and maternity hospitals. To put speed in execution of the project it is high time for the government to engage some external agency for preparation of the project report and even for construction.  

Lastupdate on : Mon, 30 Jul 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 30 Jul 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 31 Jul 2012 00:00:00 IST