Srinagar, June 19 (KNO) : The lack of funds and poor execution of projects has hampered the completion of vital projects in the school education department. The inordinate delay in completion of these major projects by the department has left them as languishing for past many years.
An official told KNO that the projects were approved under various centrally sponsored and state schemes during past years but the delay in release of funds by government led to shelving of these mega projects of the department. “These are 27 projects which have been now declared as languishing projects,” the official told KNO.
The official said the department compiled data of these languishing projects on directions of chief secretary after the governor administration decide to constitute J&K Infrastructure Development Finance Corporation Limited (JKIDFC) to generate Rs 8000 crore to be utilised in a phased manner to restart work on incomplete projects.
“In first phase 13 languishing projects in education department were enlisted after getting administrative approval for the cost of Rs 6 core. Other 14 more projects have also got approval in second phase,” the official told KNO.
Besides the projects which remained languishing under state budget, completion of over 50 projects under erstwhile SSA and RMSA has also been delayed due to lack of funds. These projects include 29 KGBV residential schools for girls, which are under construction at different stages and 27 those projects on which construction work is yet to be taken up.
“The project cost of each KGBV was approved as Rs 6 lakhs and under construction projects have been approved at the same cost under JKIDFC,” the official said. An official meanwhile told KNO that the delay in release of funds was not the only reason for leaving projects incomplete but the laxity of department was also a factor for the delay. “Execution of some projects was delayed due to non-availability of land and other legal issues,” the official told KNO.
The official also blamed the department for changing executing agencies who were given the contract for completion of projects. “There were some internal rifts between the department due to which the executing agencies were changed and the process resulted in delayed completion of works,” the official said.
Secretary School Education Department, Sarita Chauhan told KNO the work on the projects has again started under JKIDFC and will be completed in a phased manner. “No project will be left incomplete,” she said.(KNO)