Hajj House completion left midway, admits Chief Minister’s office Report reveals poor quality of works, cost escalation, poor funding Spotlight Srinagar: The Chief Minister’s Monitoring Cell has revealed that work on the Hajj House at Bemina here has not only come to a grinding halt due to paucity of funds but the project is also marred by faults and cost escalations. The project, according to a report by the Monitoring Cell—copy of which is with Greater Kashmir—is running five years behind on completion. “The completion of the scheme is now overdue by more than five years,” it reads. While the project was taken up in June 2006, it was to be completad in 2008. Its first phase was completed within shortest possible time when Ghulam Nabi Azad was heading the State. Now, November 2014 has been fixed as new date of its completion “subject to availability of funds.” The report, quoting Deputy General Manager of JKPCC, attributes the delay in project completion to “sluggish funding.” “On inspection day, no work was going on the project and stoppage of work is attributed by the agency to non-availability of funds,” the report states. The project has undergone cost escalation of 86 percent over the years, the report states. The original cost of the project was estimated to be Rs 10.50 crore which has gone up to Rs 19.09 crore. First it went up to Rs 17.50 crore in 2008 and was further revised to Rs 19.09 crore in 2009. So far, Rs 17.15 crore has been released and expended by the executing agency while Rs 1.94 crore is yet to be released by the government. The report mentions that several works taken up for execution are still incomplete. The elevators are yet to be installed in residential block while construction of the market and health centres has been left midway. The service block is still incomplete and ancillary works—land development and central heating system—are also incomplete. “The entire area of the premises was to be developed by way of earth-filling. But more than 40 percent of the area is yet to be developed. The undeveloped area has turned into marsh emanating foul and unpleasant smell,” the report states. “The mechanical components of the Central Heating System have been installed and fixed in the plant room but the civil works have been left halfway. Reportedly the civil works are pending due to non-availability of funds.” The monitoring panel has also questioned quality of works. In its report, quoting Executive Officer State Hajj Committee, the CM’s cell has pointed out faults/damages in certain buildings. “The bathrooms adjacent to meeting hall in Common Facility Block developed leakages and had to be closed for functioning,” the report says, adding, “Cracks have developed in PoP (Plaster of Paris) of the Hajj House.” “In the past, PoP cover of meeting hall, prayer hall and some portions of corridor cracked and crumbled down which was subsequently repaired by the executing agency.” Besides, the report says, the surroundings and interiors of the buildings were found littered with bird droppings, feathers etc. when the inspection was carried out. “This is because plywood sheets used in the soffits of the buildings have developed cracks resulting in gaps at certain spots,” the report reads. The proposal for construction of the Hajj House was actually moved in 1999 but its implementation was delayed by the successive governments. When Azad took over in 2005, he kept 50 kanal land instead of 20 for the Hajj House. The Phase-1 was inaugurated and made operational in November 2007. When contacted, Commissioner/Secretary (Revenue), Vinod Koul, told Greater Kashmir that pending civil works of the project were discussed in the recent meeting of the State Hajj Committee (SHC) presided over by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah. “We will approach the Planning & Development department for release of the funds,” Koul said. “Besides, the damages to the buildings would be rectified.” Meanwhile, the report has been approved by the Chief Minister’s office and sent to the Revenue department, Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation, State Hajj Committee and Deputy Commissioner Srinagar for “requisite follow-up action.”
Posted on: Tue, 08 Jul 2014 02:48:58 +0000