The country’s premier Government construction agency, CPWD, may be crying hoarse over shortage of work, but the Income Tax Department definitely does not agree. For, more than 75 of its infrastructure projects worth over Rs 350 crore proposed to be executed by the CPWD across the country are in limbo.
Voicing its disappointment at the agency’s failure, the I-T Department in a letter to the CPWD recently said that undue delay is hampering its day-to-day functioning and would result in cost-escalation beyond ‘explanation to higher authorities’.
In the letter to DG CPWD VK Gupta, Director General of Income Tax (logistic) Poonam Dutt was vocal about her frustration at this delay and blamed the CPWD for failing to ensure sufficient funds. She also alleged that in cases where fund was available, it was diverted for other purpose.
Incidentally, some of the projects were sanctioned way back in 2009 while in a few others though funds were specifically provided in the demand of grants, either work has not been complete or left incomplete on account of non-availability of fund, she said.
The classic case pertains to the proposed office building at G Block Bandra Kurla Complex at Mumbai where over Rs 241-crore of funds were allocated in the last four years since 2010-11 but the project is still held up.
Dutt said this is despite the fact that all these projects have received administrative approval and financial sanction by the respective competent authorities.
This has resulted in wide gap between available and the projected infrastructure that is adversely affecting the efficiency of our department, added Dutt, who has forwarded a long list of projects ranging from sundry works such as renovation/upgradation of residential quarters, repair of roads, providing fitting services and construction of boundaries among others.
She suggested that 50 projects can be completed instantly if a sum of Rs 7.5 crore is provided while 19 projects can be completed if a sum of Rs 44 crore is provided. The Navi Mumbai project can be completed if a sum of Rs 8.36 crore is made available.
This is not the first time that the CPWD has faced flack for delay in executing projects. Union Urban Development (UD) Minister Kamal Nath, on various occasions from public platforms, has been lashing out at the agency for shoddy work and asking it for timely completion of all construction projects.
