Infrastructure of five medical colleges in J-K incomplete as deadline approaches

SRINAGAR — 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 KNO reported on Saturday.

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, work of GMC Anantnag project is executed by JKPCC with physical progress of 86 per cent and time has overrun by 27 months and similarly, in GMC Baramulla, physical progress is around 81 per cent and time overrun is 27 months and the revised date for completion of both projects is August 15, 2022.

For GMC Doda, physical progress is 90 per cent, 93 per cent in GMC Kathua and 95 per cent in GMC Rajouri while time has overrun by 16 months, 14 months and 26 months respectively. This year’s August is the revised time of completion for these projects.

Officials said 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 while making provision for several mechanical components, no attention to the topography of Doda and Rajouri was paid.

“Besides, COVID-19 pandemic is the basic thing which lead to the delay in these very vital projects,” they said.

They said that despite the 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 has 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, the executive agency at GMC Doda demands additional Rs 20 crore, the executive agency at GMC Kathua demands additional Rs 25 crore for completion of the whole building and same is the case with the other projects.