Early Times Report
JAMMU, Aug 6: Ever since J&K has introduced online billing system for all projects carried out by Public Works (Road and Building) department through contractors, the officials of the department are virtually trying to fail it by using various tactics.
In order to bring transparency in execution of various projects of the department, the government had brought into online billing system to end the trend of allotting projects without administrative approval and technical sanction to the contractors in connivance with concerned officials of the department.
Sources said that if the online billing system is implemented in letter and spirit by the department, the projects executed without administrative approval, technical sanction by the contractors will not be cleared for the payments, which otherwise used to be passed on monetary consideration.
"But the department's officials seem not interested in implementation of this fair and transparent system for obvious reasons. In this online system, the software is so developed that it asks for some important and mandatory information to be filed by the department like details of administrative approval of the projects, technical sanction etc. If any one of this information will not be filed, the payment of contractors will be blocked.
This system will also keep check on cost escalation trend. A project worth Rs 1 cr project can't changed into Rs 2 cr. Similarly, technical sanction can't be tempered with, which has become a hurdle for those people who indulge in 'commission system'. Hence, in order to fail this system, the department is playing a big role by not tendering projects within specified time, sources added. |
