Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly’s Committee on Estimates on Tuesday expressed concern over delays in the execution of development works by the Roads and Buildings (R&B) Department and called for greater accountability in implementing public infrastructure projects.
The meeting, chaired by Committee Chairman and MLA Gurez Nazir Ahmad Khan (Gurezi), reviewed the status of developmental works being executed by the R&B Department across the Union Territory.
Legislators Ali Mohammad Dar, Javid Hassan Baig, Mushtaq Guroo, Irshad Rasool Kar, Sajad Shaheen and Sunil Bhardwaj attended the meeting along with senior officers from the Finance Department, Public Works (R&B), PMGSY and the Legislative Assembly Secretariat.
The committee reviewed the progress of projects sanctioned during the previous financial year and assessed the status of ongoing and pending works, particularly those that remain unstarted despite receiving administrative approval.
Expressing serious concern over what it termed a lackadaisical approach by the department, the committee criticised delays in executing projects sanctioned under the UT Capex Budget over the past two financial years.
It directed the department to expedite ongoing works and ensure their completion at the earliest to minimise inconvenience to the public.
The committee also took exception to the practice of awarding contracts at abnormally low rates, observing that such tenders often lead to delays, poor execution and incomplete projects.
Calling for greater accountability, the panel directed the department to discourage non-serious contractors, strengthen monitoring mechanisms and ensure strict adherence to prescribed timelines while maintaining quality standards.
The committee reiterated its commitment to ensuring transparency, accountability and timely completion of public infrastructure projects across Jammu and Kashmir.
