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| Ill-planned project by I&FC causes blockage of Rs 1.80 crore | | Work handed over without fulfilling of 1978-Irrigation Act, shelved due to deficiencies | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
JAMMU, May 4: The improper planning of Irrigation and Flood Control Department to advance funds to JKPCC, before seeking objections and clarifications and publishing the scheme for construction of barrage on the proposed site coming in the alignment of Jammu-Srinagar National Highway has resulted in the blocking of whopping Rs 1.80 crores.
Documents in possession of Early Times reveal that sections 13 and 14 of the Jammu & Kashmir Irrigation Act, 1978 stipulate that while preparing the irrigation schemes, the estimated cost, realignment of any watercourse or existing water course, the site of the outlet, the particulars of the owners, occupiers and beneficiaries to be benefitted and other person who may be affected is to be set out in the draft scheme. Besides, every irrigation scheme, after its preparation is to be published so as to invite objections and suggestions within 30 days.
After consideration of such objections and suggestions, the scheme shall be approved either as it was originally published or in such modified form as may be considered fit and published.
However, as per the documents, a project for the construction of Weir/ Barrage at Jhajjar Kotli, Jammu was handed over in March 2011 by Chief Engineer Irrigation and Flood Control (I&FC) Department, Jammu to Managing Director, Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation (JKPCC) for its execution at an estimated cost of Rs 7.62 crore. Without publishing the scheme for seeking the objections and suggestions under section 14 of the Act, an amount of Rs 1.80 crore was advanced to JKPCC in March 2011 (Rs one crore) and March 2012 (Rs 80 lakh). However, JKPCC could not start the work owing to objections raised in May 2012 by the National Highway Authority of India, as the proposed site came under the alignment of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway at Jhajjar Kotli.
A new site for the barrage was identified and JKPCC submitted in January 2015 a revised proposal with an increased project cost of Rs 24.73 crore due to change in certain technical parameters which includes width of barrage increased from 26 meters to 42 meters and the number of gates increased from three to four.
The revised proposal, however, was not found feasible and the project was shelved and JKPCC was asked in May 2015 to refund the unspent balance of Rs 1.80 crore. Even after shelving the project in May 2015, additional funds to the tune of Rs 0.88 lakh were released to Executive Engineer Irrigation Division-I Jammu, in October 2015 (Rs 0.75 lakh) and July 2016 (Rs 0.13 lakh) for this project, which had to be surrendered. Although JKPCC was again reminded in February 2017 to refund the unspent balance of Rs 1.80 crore, it continued in December 2018 to retain the same without any reason.
Thus, the improper planning of Irrigation and Flood Control Department to advance funds to JKPCC, before seeking objections/ clarifications and publishing the scheme for construction of barrage on the proposed site coming in the alignment of Jammu-Srinagar National Highway resulted in blocking of Rs 1.80 crore. |
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