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| FCD Aknoor violates SDRF guidelines | | Fails to complete works on time | | KUNAL SHRIVATSA
Early Times Report
JAMMU, May 13: In gross violation of State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF) guidelines which require to consume grant released to execute emergent nature of works within forty five days, the Flood Control (FC) Division, Akhnoor could not finish the 132 restoration works taken up after the flash floods of September 2014.
The lapse on the part of Flood Control Division, Akhnoor came to light through a Right To Information (RTI) reply under Reference No FCDA/ 3421, dated: March 17, 2015 wherein the Public Information Officer (PIO) the Executive Engineer of the said Division admitted that only 25 works out of 132 works taken up for reconstruction of both banks of River Chenab in and around Akhnoor have been completed till the middle of March.
The Executive Engineer's reply further informed that 107 works are still in progress as of March 17, 2015 (the date of RTI reply).
However, as per the SDRF norms the works should be completed within 45 days from the date of providing the funds which is quite contrary to what the FC Division, Akhnoor did till the middle of March.
The reply further informed that estimates for emergency works were prepared for 220 works for Rs 70 crore 89 lakhs 26 thousand for both banks of River Chenab and received Rs 7 crore 34 lakhs against the estimated cost.
The FC Division, Akhnoor spent the entire amount received to complete only 25 out of 132 works taken up since September, 2014 while the remaining 107 works worth Rs 39 crore 97 lakhs were in progress till March17, 2014 which means a liability was created by the Department as the funds for the works going on were yet to be received.
According to reply of the PIO, the tenders could not be floated because of emergent nature of works under SDRF but from September 2014 to March 2015, however, the emergent works have not been completed in time.
Speaking to Early Times, senior Advocate Hukum Chand Sharma, who filed the RTI, said that the issue was also taken up in the State Legislative Council during Budget Session- 2015 where a resolution moved by Congress MLC Jugal Kishore Sharma was passed for conducting an enquiry from the Vigilance Organization into the alleged irregularities committed while executing the protection works on both banks of River Chenab.
The senior lawyer said, "So far no inquiry has been initiated into the multi-crore scam in restoration works even though a resolution was passed by the State Legislative Council almost two months back but I have committed myself to go to the bottom of the rot affecting the Flood Control Department and will leave no stone unturned in doing so," Hukum Chand Sharma said.
"If government didn't make a move to probe the irregularities in the works done, I will move the court of law in order to seek a direction for the government to order an inquiry into the misappropriation of state exchequer…I have personally made physical verification of so called works executed by Akhnoor Division of Flood Control Department and found that the works taken in hands are not at all visible on ground at Pargwal, Hamirpur Sidhar and Akhnoor Old Steel Bridge," he added. |
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