KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
Minister for R&B, Gardens, Parks and Floriculture, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari, who is also the Chairperson of J&K Projects Construction Corporation (JKPCC), has called for taking necessary corrective measures to improve the financial health of the Corporation, an official spokesperson said Wednesday evening.
Chairing 90th Board of Directors Meeting of JKPCC here today, the Minister called for getting the accounts of the Corporation audited within a month. He ordered special audit of the Corporation accounts by the Finance Department to pinpoint the lapses, if any.
Commissioner Secretary R&B, Secretary Technical (R&B), Managing Director JKPCC, Chief Engineer R&B Jammu, Director Finance (R&B), Superintending Engineer R&B Kashmir besides General Managers of Kashmir/Jammu, Company Secretary and other senior officers of the Corporation were present in the meeting.
Cautioning that deadwood has no place in the Corporation, the Minister asked the Managing Director of JKPCC to start weeding out non-performers in the interest of improving overall functioning of the Corporation. He said transparency has to be maintained at all levels in the Corporation and works should be allotted through proper bidding and e-tendering system.
The Minister asked JKPCC authorities to strike a judicious balance between the income and expenditure and take necessary corrective measures for minimizing the administrative expenses and increasing income. He said instead of only looking towards the State Government for contracts, the Corporation must join various competitive biddings for expanding the ambit of its functioning. “JKPCC should participate in proposed bidding for infrastructure development of new Cluster Universities, Power and road projects coming up in the State, which on one hand can bring income for the Corporation and on the other generate employment opportunities for local educated youth,” he said.
Underlining the need for ensuring usage of quality material in the works, the Minister said quality of works and timely completion of projects should be the benchmark of the Corporation. He said delay in completion of works is putting unnecessary financial burden on the exchequer of the Corporation and called for arresting this tendency.
Stressing the need for immediate shift to e-tendering system in the Corporation, the Minister said all works and business of JKPCC should be conducted in a transparent manner. He asked JKPCC authorities to procure material, including cement and steel, through a proper tendering system to improve the financial health of the Corporation.
“It is difficult to have the real picture of the financial position of the Corporation without compiling the accounts,” said the Minister and asked the concerned to get all the accounts of the Corporation audited within a month. Taking serious note of inordinate delay in the auditing of accounts of the Corporation, he warned of stern action against concerned officers if they fail to get the accounts audited within a month.
Terming jumping of DPRs a serious lapse, the Minister directed the JKPCC Managing Director to ensure that payment to contractors is made as per approved project cost and availability of funds for a particular work.
Regarding re-fixation of rent of the properties at Railhead, the MD was authorized to fix the rates as per prevailing market rates as and when the Corporation enters into new rent contractor with the allottees, to boost the revenue of the Corporation.
The Minister said that all the projects, undertaken by the Corporation, should be got cleared by Contract Committees, constituted at State and divisional levels, to weigh the financial viability of the project before entering into the contract.
The Managing Director was asked to get recruitment rules of the Corporation framed early to address the grievances of the employees.
Earlier, the Managing Director gave a detailed resume of the functioning of the Corporation. He said the services of 112 casual workers have been regularized against 132 approved by the Board as per decision of previous board meeting.
