Title - Massive delays mar mega Central projects in JK

Srinagar, July 23: While delay in State sector projects in Jammu and Kashmir is a norm due to inefficiency of the system, the Central projects in the State are too facing inordinate delay, leading to severe cost escalation. An official report says that four mega projects in power, railways and road sectors are facing delay of 10 months to 16 years. According to the report, Udhampur - Srinagar - Baramulla railway line tops the list of mega projects vis-à-vis time overrun in the country. Although the work on the project was started in 1995, however unforeseen complications have pushed back the deadline to 2017. The railway project which was originally expected to cost Rs 2500 crore is now expected to cost around Rs 20000 crore. The power projects executed by National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) would also miss their original schedule of completion. The report says that deadline for completion of Uri Hydroelectric Power Project -II has been revised to 2013, although it was to be completed by November 2009, thereby facing delay of three years. Another hydroelectricity project, Kishanganga, caught in controversy between India and Pakistan, would also face delay by 10 months. It was expected to be completed by January 2016, but its deadline has been revised up to November 2016. The report also says that four-lane Jammu–Udhampur road, part of North–South Corridor, would also face delay of 11 months. The details reveal that the road project being executed by National Highways Authority of India at a cost of Rs 1800 crore was initially to be completed by July 2013, but its date for completion has been revised to June 2014. The mega Central projects, as per the report, under execution in the State were to be built at a cost of Rs 12000 crore but it has escalated to Rs 31000 crore. However, there has been no change in original deadline of two other Central projects i.e, Rs 2100 crore Nashri – Chanani road and Rs 2100 crore Qazigund – Banihal road. Former president of Federation Chamber of Industries Kashmir (FCIK), Shakeel Qalandar, says that unprecedented delay in completion of Central projects has “eroded the faith of people on announcements of developmental projects.” He said that Uri-II and Kishanganga were part of the seven projects which were handed over to Centre in 2000 and were expected to be completed in 10 years. “But it is unfortunate that only one project has been completed till date generating meager 120 MW, although these projects had cumulative capacity of generation of 2000 MW of electricity,” he said. Qalandar said that delay in railway project is turning out to be embarrassment for Railway Ministry and added that Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee laid foundation stone for North–South Corridor in 2001 but no work was started till very recently. “Absence of road infrastructure hampers overall development and growth of any region,” he said, adding that people here feel that they are being deliberately kept away from development.