Officials told to expedite work
Chief secretary Subhash Kumar has expressed dissatisfaction at the slow pace of work by the Public Works Department in disaster affected areas and directed officials to speed up the works.
He also directed the commissioners of Garhwal and Kumaon divisions to hold meetings with officials of PWD, Irrigation Department, Peyjal Nigam, Housing and Power department to bring about the necessary speed in construction works.
He said this while chairing the disaster management review and monitoring core committee meeting in Dehradun on Monday. Officials informed that the PWD is to construct roads worth Rs 1,690 crore in a period of three years.
The construction of 55 roads costing Rs 264 crore has been started. Kumar directed officials to pay special attention to the expenditure of funds approved by the World Bank and Asian Development Bank.
He expressed concern at the fact that due to stringent standards in works assisted by the World Bank and ADB the departmental officials are not taking interest in these though these are being undertaken with 90 per cent grant from the Government of India.
A sum of Rs 657 crore has been approved for 54 works of the Irrigation Department which has spent about Rs 112 crore so far on these works. Kumar directed the Garhwal and Kumaon commissioners to conduct random checking to ascertain the quality of works.
Departmental officials informed that Rs 72 crore has been approved for nine potable water projects in nine towns with tenders being released for eight of these projects. Works on these projects will start by December this year and work on all projects will be completed by January next year. Regarding housing, officials informed that homes damaged in five disaster affected districts are being constructed.
A total of 2,467 homes destroyed or damaged in disaster had to be constructed. First installment amounting to Rs 35 crore has been released to 2,378 persons for constructing their homes, second installment amounting to Rs 23.06 crore has been released to 1153 people and third installment amounting to Rs 48 lakh has been released to 48 people.
Of the 2,378 beneficiaries, construction has been started for construction of 1884 homes. Officials also informed that Rs 4.55 crore has been given so far to 2167 beneficiaries in disaster affected areas for house rent. All the beneficiaries will live in rentend accommodations till their new homes are constructed.
Regarding power supply, officials informed that an estimates amounting to Rs 125 crore had been received for 32 schemes with Rs 22 crore being released of which Rs 13 crore has been spent so far. Additional chief secretary Rakesh Sharma, secretary, Disaster Management, Bhaskaranand, secretary, PWD, Amit Negi and Tourism secretary Umakant Panwar were among those present in the meeting.