KL Report
Srinagar
As the government has started hunting for a new place to host the budget session after the legislative complex becoming dangerously unsafe, nobody is questioning the engineering acumen of the state run Projects Construction Corporation (JKPCC). The corporation is entrusted with the creation of the Rs 113 crore marvel that will be the new legislative complex in Jammu.
“New construction would weaken the existing complex was something that even laymen knew,” one senior officer told Kashmir Life from Jammu. “The issue is why PCC engineers failed in halting the slide?” The officer said the PCC should have advised accordingly and intervened beyond the traditional systems they used and hacked as the “most modern”.
The second issue, the officer said is that if the complex was so weak and had developed cracks, how the Chief Minister with his law minister and the Assembly Speaker were counseled to visit the site? “It is a grave security lapse,” the officer said.
Interestingly, however, nobody in the government has hinted towards initiating any kind of action for the series of lapses. Insiders ruled out any action in wake of PCCs time tested system of managing crises. The system, they said, is peculiar to this construction company only. Sources said a senior politician is right now lobbying within the government to ensure that the PCC is not being held responsible for whatever has happened.
Existing legislative complex in Jammu had developed cracks because of massive digging by PCC in its backyard for a new complex. Within hours after the chief minister visited the premises, the rare wall of the assembly complex collapsed. Now the government is exploring options for hosting the budget session that usually starts from February.
Independent lawmaker Engineer Rashid has expressed concern over the collapse of the legislative complex and sought high level investigations into it. “While the incident has posed a huge question mark over the credibility of the implementing agency itself,” Rashid said in a statement, adding, “It also offers an idea how serious and sensitive projects are being handled.”
