Not a single medical college among five sanctioned by the government in the last six years has been completed in Jammu and Kashmir so far, news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) has learnt.
One Government Medical College each for Kathua, Rajouri, Doda, Anantnag and Baramulla was sanctioned some years ago with a budget of Rs 189 crore for raising the infrastructure of each college.
Of the Rs 189 crore, an amount of Rs 139 crore was assigned for civil works and Rs 50 crore for machinery and equipment.
As per documents available with KNO, work of GMC Anantnag project is executed by JKPCC with physical progress of 86 percent and time has overrun by 27 months and similarly in GMC Baramulla physical progress is around 81 percent and time overrun is 27 months and the revised date for completion of both projects is 15 August 2022.
For GMC Doda physical progress is 90 percent, 93 percent in GMC Kathua and 95 percent in GMC Rajouri while time has over run by 16 months, 14 months and 26 months and August this year is the revised time of completion for these projects, it added.
Officials told KNO that though the revised deadlines are nearing yet infrastructure of none of these five Medical Colleges has been completed in all respects.
They said that many important components were missing in DPRs and making provision for several mechanical components, no attention towards topography of Doda and Rajouri besides covid-19 pandemic is basic things which lead to the delay in these very vital projects.
They said that despite release of requisite funds to the executing agencies, time overrun has been reported in all these projects. Besides these projects have seen cost escalation and demand for additional funds have been projected before the Government so as to complete the work
They added that in GMC Anantnag against the approved ceiling of Rs 30 crore, the executive agency is demanding Rs 38 crore, executive agency at GMC Doda demands additional Rs 20 crore, executive agency at GMC Kuthua demands additional Rs 25 crore for completion of whole building and same is the case of the other projects.