KNB News Desk
Srinagar 28 June (KNB): Contractors working under ‘Barbed Wire’ project, allege that Power Development Department (PDD) is yet to provide them rest of the required material to complete the project and neither have released any funds for the already done work.
Several contractors reached out news agency Kashmir News Bureau and said that PDD made them initiate work at the earliest but now that half a year has passed and only 20-25 per cent of it is pending, the department is showing lack of interest in completing the project as well as ignoring their request to release the payment for the already completed work.
One of the contractors on basis of anonymity told KNB, “Last year, we were told that funds are available with the department and we (contractors) just have to install the material which is going to be provided to us.”
“Within few months, most of the contractors completed the work, but from past several months neither the department is providing the rest of the required material, such as conductors, to complete the project nor releasing the funds for the 80 per cent of work, which has already been done,” he said.
“Everyday life has certainly changed and survival has become much more complicated due the Covid-19 pandemic and when efforts are put into executing the work plans perfectly as required, such delay and lack of interest from the department just makes us, along with the daily wagers, get mentally sick,” he added.
Last year, PDD launched the Barbed Wire project to replace the damaged/old wooden utility poles and make other infrastructural developments. The department provided material required for the project and hundreds of contractors participated in completing the assigned work across Jammu and Kashmir.
“The department is not providing us the conductors even though the utility poles have been installed months ago,” another contractor said, adding that it is the people, who work on ground and to provide the deserved support to them, should be the departments first priority.
He said, “Last year, when we started working, instead of using 5 workers to perform a particular task, we used 10. That is because the department wanted things to get done quickly but since then no one from the department has pushed the project to its completion.”
He said, “From last 7-8 months, the department has not provided any more material to finish the work and no one is even mentioning about the release of payments.”
“In the month of January, we were told that billing process of the work will be initiated in the month of February and in March the payment will be done,” he added.
“The workers lose their interest when such sluggish response is received from the department, be it PDD or any other department,” he said, adding, “the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha’s promises of a developed Jammu and Kashmir cannot be moulded into reality like this.”
These contractors further appealed that the department should either provide them rest of the required material to complete the pending work or release the funds with respect to the work already done.
“Recently, one among us also brought up the matter with LG Manoj Sinha in person as well,” they said.
Regarding the issue, news agency Kashmir News Bureau contacted Chief Engineer PDD, Kashmir, Aijaz Ahmad Dar, who said that within next 3 months important processes will take place and payments will be released.
He said, “Due to heavy snowfall last year the damage to conductors increased and the resources we had kept in stock got exhausted.”
“Moreover, due to Covid-19 Pandemic situation the conductors we had ordered were not delivered on time, but the department has received them now. I’ll issue the conductors soon and afterwards will be installed at the required places,” Chief Engineer said, adding that the pending work of the project will be completed.
Regarding the release of funds of the contractors, Aijaz Dar said, “In next three months, their estimation will be processed and we’ll conduct physical verification of their work once, 100 per cent confirmed, their payments will be released.”
He further said that after the department’s claims reach Centre, they will also depute a team to check the work and afterwards they will release the funds. (KNB)