Govt panel dismayed over sluggish work on Rs 1500-cr WB project

In its 4th meeting held on 7 March 2019, the steering committee expressed disappointment over sluggish pace in implementation of the project.

“The PSC reviewed the progress in detail. While expressing concern over the slow pace of progress, it emphasized the need for accelerating the pace of works,” reads a record note of the meeting.

During the meeting, the committee directed the project implementation units to take expeditious steps for finalisation of tendering process and allotment of contracts.

In its 3rd meeting held on 10 October last year, the PSC, which is headed by Chief Secretary and comprising top bureaucrats, called for gearing up progress of the project.  “The project steering committee was of the opinion that the progress needs to be further geared up, in view of the fact that the project is already running in its 3rd year (date of effectuation is April 20, 2016),” reveals the record note.

The panel, in its second meeting on 16 July 2018, pointed out that there has been no substantial progress in most of the components sanctioned under the project.

In its very first meeting on 6 July 2017, the committee directed the project implementation units to improve pace of expenditure.

Headed by CS, the steering committee is responsible for monitoring and overall guidance of the project.

It is worthwhile to mention here that World Bank has also expressed disappointment over progress of the project.

In its rating on 27 June 27, 2018, the multilateral financial institution termed progress of the project as “moderately unsatisfactory”. The project was cleared in 2015 for reconstruction of the infrastructure hit by floods and enhancing the state’s disaster management capacities.

Courtesy: Greater Kashmir