Jammu Mayor expresses serious concern as local economy being draining out as contracts secured by outsiders

New advertisement policy to include all 75 WardJas

STATE TIMES NEWS

JAMMU: The Mayor of Jammu, Rajinder Sharma has expressed serious concern over the draining out of the economy of Jammu is as most of the contracts for developmental works in Jammu are being allotted to outsiders.
“On one hand this puts Goods and Service Tax (GST) losses to J&K and on the other money is going to outside of J&K while quality of work also remains poor,” Sharma said while addressing the meeting of Finance and Planning of the Urban Local Body.
Taking a revolutionary step in this regard he said that conditions in the tender documents should now be made such that local contractors may also participate in bidding process in maximum so that economy of Jammu may turn vibrant by giving work to locals and the money remains here and circulates here only.
The Mayor also talked on division of contracts under which if a Rs. 40 crore project is there same should be divided into five small projects so that more people may participate.
While chairing the meeting Sharma also discussed the advertisement policy of Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC) and expanded the limit of earlier 49 Wards that auctioned static and visual panels for advertisements to the all 75 Wards of JMC and said that five zones shall be made for this so that the earnings could be equally distributed in the society.
On JMC parking place of Panjtirthi, the Mayor said that it will be auctioned and the party proposing highest bid shall be considered.
He also said that roadside parking slots shall also be auctioned on the same pattern.
Rajinder Sharma informed that earlier a committee with five JMC Councillors was constituted to probe irregularities as a meagre of four per cent income from JMC parking places was given to JMC and the remaining 96 per cent was kept by the contractor concerned.
“In this regard an audit by a third party which shall be recognised Public Sector Undertaking shall be done and action will be taken on its recommendations,” he maintained adding: “It will be for the first time that to check quality and audit shall be done to ensure transparency, accountability and to check loss to public exchequers.”
He informed that the audit will be done free of cost by the organisation concerned.
The Mayor also said that on coming in L-1 the contractors if fail to deposit their performance security money within a week, they will have their registration cancelled and those who failed to start work within 20 days of allotment will also get the same treatment.
“The projects worth Rs. crore or above shall mandatorily need approval of Finance and Planning Committee and Executive Committee,” Sharma continued adding that directions of Finance and Planning Committee shall be implemented by JMC employees without any “if” and “but”.
The helmsman of the Urban Local Body further informed that for the first time JMC has made a whooping Rs. 107 crore expenditure this year which is the highest expenditure so far and second the lower in this regard was Rs. 38 crore.
The Mayor congratulated all the JMC employees from Commissioner to Supervisor for this achievement.

check quality and audit shall be done to ensure transparency, accountability and to check loss to public exchequers.”
He informed that the audit will be done free of cost by the organisation concerned.
The Mayor also said that on coming in L-1 the contractors if fail to deposit their performance security money within a week, they will have their registration cancelled and those who failed to start work within 20 days of allotment will also get the same treatment.
“The projects worth Rs. crore or above shall mandatorily need approval of Finance and Planning Committee and Executive Committee,” Sharma continued adding that directions of Finance and Planning Committee shall be implemented by JMC employees without any “if” and “but”.
The helmsman of the Urban Local Body further informed that for the first time JMC has made a whooping Rs. 107 crore expenditure this year which is the highest expenditure so far and second the lower in this regard was Rs. 38 crore.
The Mayor congratulated all the JMC employees from Commissioner to Supervisor for this achievement.