Avinash Azad
Jammu, Mar 8: Stopped works of an under-construction basketball court for a government higher secondary school (GHSS) in a remote village of Rajouri district, awaits the Custodian Department’s response to complete it for more than three years.
Begun in September 2019 with a three-month deadline of its completion, the works of basketball court at Higher Secondary School Soulki in district Rajouri has become victim of redtapism, as after completion of 80 percent of works, the Custodian department claiming ownership of the land stopped the works in 2020.
Since then, the school authorities, concerned Sarpanch and the contractor, who executed the works on behalf of J&K Sports Council, are running pillar to post to complete the project, meant for sports activities in the school.
The works were executed by the J&K Sports Council, under languishing Projects in 2019. But in January 2020 the same was stopped by the Deputy Custodian Evacuee Property Rajouri in 2020. The locals of the area headed by Sarpanch, knocked the door of Tehsildar Kalakote for justice. The Tehsildar Kalakote further approached the Deputy Custodian Rajouri in November 2021, requesting him to take appropriate actions into the matter, but nothing has been finalized by the concerned authorities.
The work was allotted vide no. XENJ/YSS/443-47, dated 26/09/2019, with allotted cost Rs 1108995 with a deadline of three months. It is pertinent to mention here that the Khelo India programme has been introduced by the Government of India to revive the sports culture in India at the grass-root level by building a strong framework for all sports played in our country and establish India as a great sporting nation. But, in J&K development sports infrastructure has been facing multiple hurdles, most of them are due to redtapism.
“Aks latha (revenue record) of this village is not available. This land existed besides a small river in state land. There is no boundary of the school area. The spot possession of this land is with school. Representation by residents of the area led by concerned Sarpanch is also submitted with application of in favour of school”, Tehsildar Kalakote mentioned in a letter addressed to Deputy Custodian, Evacuee Property Rajouri in November 2021 reads.
However, after receiving a letter from the Tehsildar Kalakote, the Deputy Custodian, EP Rajouri has further conveyed it to the Custodian EP Jammu for further actions in August 2022, but till no further actions have been taken yet. The contractor who executed the works suffers huge losses, as his due payments for works he has done, is not being paid by the executing agency i.e. JK Sports Council. “Since the work is stopped by the Custodian Department, and under construction property belongs to the School education department. We are just an executing agency”, said the Executive Engineer, J&K Sports Council, Sarwar Mehmmod, adding that until the work gets completed, payments cannot be released. “We cannot force the Custodian Department as well. The School Education should pursue the case for its final disposal”, he added. The Chief Education Officer (CEO) Rajouri, did not answer the phone calls, for her comment over this issue. Ravinder Sharma, Custodian Evacuee Property Jammu, could not be reached for his comments despite attempts on his cell phone number available on the official website of Evacuee’s Property Department.
