Srinagar, June 24, KNT: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader and MLA Pulwama, Waheed Ur Rehman Para, on Wednesday questioned the pace of road infrastructure works in Jammu and Kashmir, alleging that despite substantial allocations to the Roads and Buildings (R&B) Department, progress on the ground remains limited.
In a post on social media, Para claimed that nearly half of the working season had passed but no significant road macadamization or blacktopping work had been undertaken.
He alleged that while tenders had been issued and announcements made, execution of projects was yet to be seen in many areas.
The PDP leader also highlighted concerns raised by contractors, claiming that several projects remained stalled due to pending payments, unresolved liabilities and what he described as outdated contract rates.
Para said increasing costs of construction materials, fuel and labour had placed additional pressure on contractors, while rates had not been revised accordingly.
He further alleged that procedural requirements, including police verification and issues related to mining source identification and royalty assessment, were contributing to delays in project implementation.
According to Para, contractors were being expected to execute works at rates they considered unsustainable while awaiting clearance of pending dues.
The legislator also questioned why these issues were not addressed during a recent Cabinet meeting and maintained that delays in infrastructure projects could affect road conditions and development works across the region. [KNT]
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