Srinagar: The J&K High Court directed Chief Secretary, J&K to immediately look into the issue of releasing funds for the completion of pending bridges and flyovers which are under construction by the Jammu and Kashmir Project Construction Corporation (JKPCC).
The court passed the direction after a status report (dated 10th September 2020) was filed by Mohammad Ramzan Malla, Deputy General Manager of the JKPCC stating that bridges constructed by the JKPCC are either funded by the World Bank or by J&K government.
“However, in most of the bridges, the paucity of funds is causing delay in the completion of the execution,” the report stated.
It was stated through the report that the respondent is an executing agency only and the Budget component for the bridges under execution with the JKPCC Ltd is in the domain of project authorities such as PWD and those funded by the World Bank.
However, the report mentioned that work on bridges funded by the World Bank is going smoothly.
“That in most of the bridges including that of the subjected PIL, Akhal and Tengchatri Bridge, the paucity of funds is causing delay in the completion of the execution and the respondent executing agency JKPCC Ltd is unable in timely completion of the bridges although for no fault of its own,” the report said.
Besides, the JKPCC Ltd is without any budgetary support from the government and has to earn the administrative overheads and salary/wages out of the profit component of the projects under execution.
The court of Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice Puneet Gupta while perusing the report noted that the facts brought on record by the JKPCC are required to be seriously looked into at the highest level.
“Let a copy of this order and the report filed by JKPCC be placed before the Chief Secretary of J&K who shall immediately look into the matter,” court directed.
The court will again hear the matter on November 27.
Earlier, the court had directed the construction agency to indicate in the status report the date on which the work was allotted, the original date of completion and the expected date of completion of such projects.
On 13th of March, 2019, the court was informed that on account of delay in release of funds, there was delay in completion of projects. Since then the Court has been examining the position with regard to both bridges as well as flyovers.

NUSRAT SIDIQ