JAMMU: As directed by Governor N.N Vohra the Government has set up a Standing Committee to identify the reasons for cost and time escalations in respect of the projects for which various departments are seeking revised Administrative Approvals (AAs).
This Committee comprises Administrative Secretary Planning and Development Department as its Chairman and Administrative Secretary, Power Development Department, Administrative Secretary Public Works (R&B) Department, Administrative Secretary PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control Department and Development Commissioner, Works, as its Members. The Administrative Secretary of the concerned Department shall also serve as the Member Secretary in respect of the cases relating to his Department.
This Committee has been entrusted to assess the reasons for time and cost over-runs against the pre-defined parameters so as to reduce the scope for discretion and open ended cost and time escalation; to undertake detailed examination of the basis and reasons for cost and time over-runs before recommending the accord of Administrative Approval to the revised cost of projects valuing above a given threshold; to ensure an element of structured accountability in project implementation and to fix responsibility of the concerned officers in every case in which the over-runs are not justified.
Governor has asked Chief Secretary to give him an outcome report by 7th April 2016.