Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has asked all executing agencies in the state to take up projects only after their costs and timelines have been frozen by indenting departments, saying government cannot afford cost overruns and delays in completion of projects.
All indenting departments should henceforth consult the executing agencies beforehand, so that costs, specifications and timelines of projects are frozen, Mehbooba said.
She also asked the Roads and Buildings (R-B) Department to make advance preparations so that work on the newly-sanctioned five medical colleges is taken up immediately.
The Chief Minister said this while chairing a high-level meeting to review the functioning of the R-B Department here last evening, an official spokesman said.
She also suggested certain alterations in the existing design of the medical college buildings ensuring they are in conformity with the site locations.
The department was also instructed to incorporate provision of rainwater harvesting in all future buildings.
In order to inculcate healthy competition, the Chief Minister suggested that the work on construction of new medical colleges be allotted to different executing agencies like JKPCC and PHC, the spokesman said.
He said Mehbooba also directed to make State Roadways Development Corporation a self-sustaining organization by allotting them important works.
The Secretary of R-B Department informed the meeting that Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is expected to release a further tranche of Rs 4000 crore this year which would enable the department to take up new projects and upgrade existing ones over the next three years.
He added that against a total release of Rs 702 crore under State Annual Plan in 2015-16, Rs 698 crore have already been expended under regular schemes.
