Jammu: A High Powered Committee under the chairmanship of Financial Commissioner, Finance Department Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta has approved 83 projects worth Rs 1010.55 crore across Jammu and Kashmir union territory under Jammu & Kashmir Infrastructure Development Finance Corporation (JKIFDF).
The meeting was chaired by Financial Commissioner, Finance Department Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta attended by over a dozen High Powered Committee members which held deliberations regarding different projects across Jammu and Kashmir UT.
According to the official communiqué, a copy of which lies with Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the High Powered Committee “After a threadbare discussion 83Projects for an amount of Rs 1010.55 crore were approved for funding under JKIDFC.
The approved projects will have to undergo some principle subject and conditions laid by the committee.
“All 83 projects shall have Administrative Approval, Technical Sanction and Detailed Project Reports vetted by the competent authority,” the official communiqué said.
Guildiens laid by the committee for the projects includes “Only the balance Cost to be funded under JKIDFC. Department shall ensure Geo-Tagging of all projects. No cost escalation for any work shall be admissible. Works to be completed within the Allotted Cost of the work within two years. Copy of Vetted DPR shall be returned by JKIDFC for reference.”
After the approval, the committee decided that”The Expenditure with respect to CRF works is reimbursed fully by the Government of India which shall be taken as a Revenue accrual towards JKIDFC for debt servicing”
The official communiqué said that the committee deliberated on the projects that have been forwarded by the Departments for dropping from funding under JKIDFC.
“The Chairman directed that all such projects shall be immediately dropped from funding under JKIDFC and a detailed audit and enquiry report of these dropped projects shall be submitted by the Director-General, Expenditure Division-II within one week”, the official communiqué said.
The committee also discussed languishing projects and said that One Project of Public Works (R&B) Department namely “Construction of the road from Rehan to Dhar Sakri via Damote”, which was dropped from the approved Jist in the 10th HPC meeting due to a change in balance cost of the project, stands approved by the High Powered Committee for a balance cost of Rs 8.8970 crore forwarded by the Department in the relevant format.
One Project of Jal Shakti Department namely “Remodeling & Renovation of Division Office and Circle Office Building at Budgam” for an amount of Rs 1.3600 crore was not considered appropriate for funding under JKIDF, the high powered committee communiqué said.
After thorough discussion, the communiqué said that it was directed that the projects in which the change of location has been made shall be forwarded to JKIDFC for dropping and fresh proposals of each project shall be forwarded to JKIDFC for the incorporation of such projects on the JKIMS portal. “The proposal was in, principle approved by the High powered Committee. In the future, if these projects are submitted again, they may be examined afresh, taking care of variation in cost, if any”, it said.
It said that as per the request of the’ Public works (R&B) Department, the change in Administrative Approval Cost of one project namely “Construction of 45 M span steel FJB at Chattral Nallah near Mohalla Chattral Mendhar, Poonch” from 1.00 to 0.90 crore was approved by the High Powered Committee.
The communiqué further said that it was decided that, Eleven Projects of the Youth Services & Sports Department shall be deliberated in the next High Powered Committee Meeting. (KNO)
