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| IRCON blames PDD, rebuts ex-power secretary's allegations | | J&K's much delayed T&D strengthening project | | Syed Junaid Hashmi
Early Times Report
JAMMU, Feb 6: Awarded for meritorious public service, ex-Power Secretary Arun Mehta allowed Power Development Department (PDD) to continue with its novel ways of delaying completion of projects for strengthening transmission and distribution network across Jammu and Kashmir.
As the bleak power scenario indicates, Mehta did nothing exceptional as PDD secretary but was given state award and that too at a time, when he had already been posted as Joint Secretary in the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest. Mehta failed to force PDD to address serious issues being raised by various internationally reputed companies involved in completion of various ongoing projects for strengthening transmission and distribution network across Jammu and Kashmir.
Sources said that Mehta had written a letter to Ircon International Limited, complaining about delay in completion of various projects. IRCON, which is a government of India undertaking, had given a terse reply to Mehta vide its letter no. IRCON/Jammu/R_APDRP/5022-24/Elect dated 05-01-2015, accusing his department of unnecessary and unusual delays. Rebutting allegations levelled by Mehta, Tiwari has said that milestones carved out were indicative and subject to the approval of design and drawings, vendors and handing over the site for new sub-stations.
Virtually telling Mehta that he was unaware of ground situation, Ircon has maintained that PDD has unusually delayed vendor approvals, GTP/drawing approvals and inspect/dispatch clearances for majority of items and that too without assigning any concrete reasons for the same. IRCON has even appended a detailed account of the time taken by PDD to respond to these mandatory approvals for taking up strengthening of transmission and distribution network.
It has further said that approvals given are withdrawn and revised many times and with PDD unable to take firm decisions, IRCON found it difficult to go ahead with the procurement activity. The GOI undertaking has cited examples of inability of PDD to finalise specification for ST poles and sub-station earthing drawing which led to inordinate delay in material procurement. They have further said that guidelines for design of feeders were issued by technical committee in June 2014 after passing of the target date of May 2014.
The issue was compounded by Project Management Agency (PMA) advising revision in design criteria by the end of September 2014, Ircon has said while maintaining that surveys on most of the feeders were completed in May 2014 but drawing and designs could not be finalised due to objections raised by PMA. GOI undertaking has outrightly told Mehta, then Power Secretary, that there should be limit on number of revisions in the drawings by PMA and approving authority.
Pointing towards PDD's inefficiency, IRCON had told Mehta that they apprehended changes in design criteria since the records of PDD approvals was not so impressive and officers there were habitual of raising unnecessary objections and causing inordinate delays. They said that there was no coordination between Project and Designs Wing, EM and RE wing and PMA wings of PDD. With no common platform, drawings had to go through six different steps from PMA to JE, AEE, XEN, SE and CE; thus causing delay in the design finalisation.
IRCON complained that while there should have been one window for clearance of all approvals, they have been left with no option but to visit several offices of PMA, R-APDRP (3-Levels) and CE/M&RE (3-Levels). It said that allotment of land for new sub-stations has been considerably delayed. Citing an example, they said that construction activities were started at Manda sub-station as per approved drawings but they were stopped by municipal authorities due to violation of local laws on the allotted land, thus leading to revision of drawing process.
Against submission of all documents for mobilisation advance, IRCON has said that payments were released about 3 months later. Procurement of material was not possible due to excessive delays in the clearance of drawings and approvals and site for the new sub-stations. IRCON has said that glitches were not attributable to them and there cannot be significant improvement unless the issues were addressed and resolved by the Power Development Department (PDD). |
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