|| SHIEKH JAHANGIR
The state authorities here while undermining the importance of the centrally sponsored schemes created fuss in the vital PMGSY which was otherwise meant to connect the far flung areas of the state with the highways. Documents in possession reveal that as per the guidelines set by the PMGSY, road connectivity is to be provided to the eligible unconnected habitations in the rural areas only and as per guidelines the habitations located at the distance of less than 1.5 Kms were to be treated as the connected habitations. Details reveal that 17.31 crore rupees were incurred on the construction of 15 road projects in Pulwama, Anantnag and Baramulla for providing connectivity to unconnected habitations. However, the startling revelations are coming to fore, revealing that these habitations were already connected through the link roads and were as such not to be treated as the unconnected habitations. Reports reveal further that 51 road projects with length of each road in the range of 0.73 Kms to 1.5 Kms had been taken up and rupees 33.18 crores were spent on them.
This was despite the fact that the habitations intended to be connected were located at the distance which was less than 1.45 Kms from the main road- hence undermining the official norms. Furthermore, seven road projects falling within the Srinagar Municipal Limits had been taken up in the past and an expenditure of whooping 8.65 crore rupees were incurred. There are also reports that the road projects taken up by the PMGSY in various areas were already been constructed by the R&B department of Jammu and Kashmir. Such a revelation besides unmasking the lack of coordination between the departments has also put a question mark over how pubic money is being wasted due to the official negligence.
Reports reveal that there were as many as 41 road projects in different rural areas of the state which were taken up by the PMGSY but surprisingly, these projects were already under the execution of the state R&B department. While a whooping amount of 67.42 crore rupees were taken up by the state R&B, rupees 83.15 crores were also spent by the PMGSY on the same road projects. Also the PMGSY norms mention that the up gradation of existing roads is permitted only in those districts where all eligible habitations of the designated population size had been provided all weather road connectivity. In the contrary, the authorities at the PMGSY had taken up the upgradation of 50 existing roads in ten different districts of the state and incurred 249.01 crores thereon. This was despite the fact that 2720 habitations of the state had not been provided road connectivity.
Reports reveal that there were as many as 41 road projects in different rural areas of the state which were taken up by the PMGSY but surprisingly, these projects were already under the execution of the state R&B department. While a whooping amount of 67.42 crore rupees were taken up by the state R&B, rupees 83.15 crores were also spent by the PMGSY on the same road projects.
