MIRPUR (AJK): Construction work on several ongoing approved mega-development projects was abandoned in various parts of Azad Jammu Kashmir, including in the Southern Mirpur division, because of a lack of alleged financial mismanagement on the part of the incumbent PTI-led AJK government.
According to data available with reporter, the AJK highways sector involves an annual development budget of Rs.12 billion. Several of the roads projects in the Mirpur district including several main roads in the lake city of Mirpur including Quaid-e-Azam Stadium Chowk to Y Junction, Center City Allama Iqbal Road, and scores of link roads in various residential sectors in the city, approved by the PML (N)-led AJK government, could not be constructed due to non-payment of the due installments of the funds to the contractors M/s. Seven Star Construction Company reportedly due to the paucity of funds besides due to the alleged discriminatory response of the sitting Prime Minister Sardar Tanveer Illayas-led PTI government of the AJK State towards the execution and completion of the approved projects.
The dilemma of the alleged financial mismanagement on the part of the incumbent AJK government could be assessed through the fact that in the present era of about Rs. 26 billion annual development budget of Azad Jammu Kashmir, the thorough forward pending financial liabilities for the contractors against the awarded development projects have swelled to Rs. 30 billion.
The proposed new link road projects for various constituencies of the members of Azad Jammu Kashmir Legislative Assembly (MLAs) in various parts of AJK involve Rs. 16 billion.
Due to such financial mismanagement, the contractor moved to a court of law six months ago against the government for nonpayment of the due installments of the funds against the awarded development projects for construction work. This correspondent understands that the AJK government released only 50 percent of the funds to the contractor this year for the construction of the development projects absolutely against the stipulated timeframe of the payment of the funds to the contractors.
It may also be added that because of such a reported ugly state of affairs caused by financial mismanagement, the contractors have refused to entertain new tenders for the approved development projects by boycotting the tenders process.
The boycotting contractors have asserted that because of the lack of release of due funds by the government to the contractors against the awarded development projects according to the agreed schedule, the costs of the projects have escalated to double levels, which could not be afforded by the contractors.
When contacted, a representative of the constructors told reporter here Tuesday that due to the non-provision of the funds for the awarded construction work of the development projects lying pending since over the past 10 years, the projects could not be completed. Whereas the state government intended to allot tenders against new development projects.
The contractors’ representatives were of the view that neither the AJK government has any proper financial planning – nor it was focusing to devise sustainable planning which could lead to the successful completion of the awarded development projects within the stipulated time frame under annual development programs.
The contractors’ representative feared that the over-development and uplift of Azad Jammu Kashmir in general and the neglected areas (under any prejudice) might collapse to an alarming extent if the State government paid no heed to establish due financial discipline and planning for the completion of existing and upcoming development projects in the liberated territory.