WB project for infrastructure building in J&K

Out of 213 sub-projects, only 74 completed; deadline twice extended

Srinagar: Only 74 sub-projects have been completed under the World Bank funded project in Jammu & Kashmir till July this year, official documents reveal.The documents accessed reveal that only 74 sub-projects have been completed under the Jhelum-Tawi Flood Recovery Project(JTFRP) against 213 sub-projects funded under it.“74 sub -projects amounting to Rs 259.90 crore completed. 139 sub -projects are in progress at a cost of 1503.37 crore,” read the documents. The project was approved by the WB in June 2015 for infrastructure building in J&K after its team visited flood-affected areas of the State to carry out a multi-sectoral assessment report of the damages and needs.

Its deadline was twice extended by the WB on the request of the J & K government. In its plea for seeking extension, the administration of J&K cited “peculiar circumstances” and “adverse weather conditions” in the UT. The original deadline for completion of the project was June 2020. The WB has hinted that the deadline of the project could be extended up to December 2022.According to the documents, 135 sub- projects under JTFRP will be completed by or before June 2022. “Remaining three sub -projects will be completed by December 2022 (Besides supervision consultancy),” the report states.It is worthwhile to mention that different quarters have slammed the Jammu & Kashmir government over slow pace in implementation of the project