Contractor restarts work on BGSBU road which is presently in worst condition.

GNSONLINE RAJOURI
SHYAM SOOD

RAJOURI, AUGUST 10 :—After continuous resentment by the inhabitants of Danidhar area against the district administration & PWD (R&B) officer for the worst condition of Rajouri-Baba Ghulam Shah Badshah University (BGSBU), District Development Commissioner (DDC) Vikas Kundal along with SE PWD (R&B), Nissar Hussain; EXN PWD, Maqbool Hussain; ExEn PMGSY Rajouri and AEEs concerned visited the spot today.
The work on this ICON project was started about 8 years ago (for single lane) and later keeping in view the importance of this road, which will also connect the upcoming Medical College complex, it was decided to make it double-laning reportedly with a project cost of about Rs 31 crores.
In 2019 the project for double-laning was approved after the Principal Secretary Finance made the formal announcement and the contractor started the work.
The contractor has spent more than 8 crores on this project. but he has not received any payment yet because the project has no administrative approval and recently he stopped the work.
As the road due to widening has been damaged at many places and the people moving on this road alleged that not only the pedestrians facing inconvenience while moving on this uneven & pothole filled road but it is also causing huge losses to the vehicles.
Many dignitaries from the country and abroad & the parents of the students visit BGSBU regularly and the worst condition of the road poses a bad picture before them.
A few days ago the inhabitants of Danidhar and students of BGSBU and Government Medical College held a massive protest against the District Administration and PWD officers and blocked the road for about two hours resenting the worst condition of the road.
Maqbool Hussain, Executive Engineer assured the protesters that the administrative approval for the project (under languishing projects sanctioned for about Rs 22 crores) and final approval is on the cards and within days the final approval is expected.
After the green signal of the final approval of this project from higher authorities, Vikas Kundal on Wednesday along with Superintending Engineer (SE, PWD), Executive Engineer, PWD; Executive Engineer, PMGSy, and other senior officers visited this road and and asked the contractor to start the work.
“After information of final administrative approval of this important project, the contractor has been asked to restart the work (which he started today) with an assurance that his liabilities (pending payments) will be cleared soon:” said Maqbool Hussain, Executive Engineer.
While inspecting progress on Dhanidhar road, the DDC asked the concerned officer for mobilising their men and machinery to complete the project within the shortest possible time to benefit the public.
The DDC directed the officers concerned to adhere to the timelines for completion and continuous monitoring for maintaining the quality of work to meet the developmental aspirations of the general public.
He also said no flexibility shall be entertained in the quality of the projects being executed.
Vikas Kundal, DDC also visited the under-construction 120 meters long second Abdullah Bridge approved under languishing projects with a cost of Rs 4,78 Crore.
The DDC showed his satisfaction over the work progress and asked the concerned officer from the Executing agency to further speed up the work on the bridge and get it completed in all respects at the earliest.