National Conference on Thursday blasted former BJP-PDP government over its dismal performance in expediting the work on vital projects of the state.
In a statement NC provincial spokesperson Imran Nabi Darsaid, “Inefficiency that was bequeathed by former Mehbooba Mufti led governmentinto the state administration is primarily responsible for diminutive spendingon Jhelum-Tawi flood recovery project.
He said that the state government’s capacity to spend fundson infrastructure projects was now being questioned as the state government hasjust spent Rs 71 crore of the Rs 1500 crore World Bank funded project in lastthree years.”
The statement was issued on the day Greater Kashmir carrieda report which highlighted that the government has spent only Rs 71 crore ofthe Rs 1500 crore under the WB funded project for reconstruction ofinfrastructure damaged in 2014 flood and for enhancing the state’s disastermanagement capacities. The deadline for completion of the “Jehlum Tawi FloodRecovery Project” is 30 June 2020. Spending more than Rs 1400 crore in 13months appears to be tall order given the performance so far. “With this kindof report card the state would not be able to get its other vital projectsfunded by the internal funding agencies. This also deflates the developmentballoon of BJP-PDP combine. The report that came other day in the local dailyhas debunked the high sounding assertions of former PDP-BJP government on thedevelopment of state,” he said.
Imran said that the pace of work on the projects didn’t pickup during the former BJP-PDP coalition government. “However it was expectedthat the pace of work on the vital flood recovery project, sanctioned afterthen CM Omar Abdullah held a series of meetings with World Bank, will pick upin the Governor’s rule that followed the coalition government. The deadline forcompletion of the Jhelum Tawi flood recovery project is 30 June 2020. Spendingmore than Rs. 1400 Cr in a year seem rather impossible given the scope of thework is very immense. Spending so much money in the remaining 13 months seemsto be a tall order for an administration that wasn’t able to cope with thescope of work in past three years,” he said.
Imran said that it was expected of the administration tolearn lessons and add to the flood preparedness and precautionary measures ofthe state. “However with the BJP-PDP in the vanguard of the state governmentfrom 2014 to 2016 nothing of that sort happened. On the contrary the formercoalition squandered the time and mandate of the people. The fateful coalitionwas vision less and sans clarity of thought on the issues that the state isfacing,” he said.Imran said that the incumbent Governoradministration also didn’t rise up to the expectations of the people. “We hadthought that the work on the vital projects will pick up however it didn’thappen. Now I urge the administration to speed up the work even if it requiresmultiple shifts for completion. The flood recovery projects are of pristineimportance to the state and should have been personally monitored by governorof the state,” he said.