ERA OF BROKEN PROMISES

Nishat-Doodh Ganga water supply project awaits completion

3 yrs on, ERA fails to complete 15-month project

BILAL HUSSAIN

For fifteen months contract assignment, it took Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA)—special purpose vehicle for implementation of externally aided projects—over three years to complete 60 per cent of the work on the project.
The project of Nishat water supply-replacement/realignment of tale Manzil transmission mains and Doodganga water supply-improvement and extension of transmission main is awarded to Pratibha Industries on July 11, 2007. The work on the contract started on August 20, 2007, which was earlier supposed to be completed on October 17, 2008. It was further extended till August 19, 2009 and the same is not complete till date, official sources said.
The project is funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) under loan package of 2151-IND, having 21.9 Kms scope.
The contract work is expected to cost Rs 19.69 crore, as of now the ERA has spent Rs 14.21 crore on it. June 2010
Assistant Project Manager Water Supply, Mohammad Maqbool Wani, told Kashmir Times that the deadline for the project was extended till June 2010 and about 65 per cent of physical work is completed.
On the achievements side procurement of materials and equipment are in progress and 11.3 kms have procured total length of doodganga line to be laid is 11675 mts.
The alignment for line from Nishat via Taley manzil has been finalized.
Earlier Kashmir Times reported that the major portion of total 83 contract packages were work had been allotted to various contractors, which amounts to package value of Rs 1119.34 crore have not been completed. . At present 69 per cent of the projects have alerts. According to sources in the agency the key reason in delays in completion of the projects is due to the frequent change of head adding that the additional charge also affected the functioning of the projects.
To mention, the project ‘MPIR loan 2151-IND’ is first externally aided project funded by ADB. The estimated cost of the Project is Rs 1611 crores. ADB loan component is Rs 1125 crore and counter part fund component is Rs 486 crores. Counter Part fund is borne by government of India under PMRP. Project completion period was June 2009. Government of India has been requested for extension of project completion period till June 2010 and subsequently GOI has recommended extension to ADB.