‘Political wrangles main hurdle in project’
*Rs 2 cr go waste, work on new DPR started
Gopal Sharma
JAMMU, July 22: Sanctioned during 2013, the Mini Secretariat building in Rajouri has remained incomplete, with residents demanding immediate action to alleviate their sufferings caused by scattered administrative offices at the district headquarters.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the Mini Secretariat, initially sanctioned in 2013, remains incomplete, leading to significant inconvenience for the public, which is forced to navigate between different locations for essential services.
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The need for a centralized administrative hub is acutely felt by the people of Rajouri, who have been vocal about their preference for the Mini Secretariat to be constructed at the current location of the DC office, spanning an area of 20 Kanals. This site, centrally located and easily accessible, is seen as the ideal choice to house all district-level offices under one roof, thereby streamlining operations and improving service delivery.
“The project, with an estimated cost of Rs 37.69 crores and an initially approved amount of Rs 10 crores, has been mired in delays due to political interference and disputes over its location. Initially, only Rs 7.20 crores were allocated for the project, and Rs 1.87 crores has been spent till date, with just 15% of the work completed. The work, awarded to a contractor from Jammu and supervised by the R&B Division Rajouri, began on Education Department (DIET) land but was suspended in 2015 due to administrative communications,” sources added.
Despite multiple meetings led by Deputy Commissioner, Om Prakash Bhagat and his predecessors, with stakeholders, consensus on the location has been elusive. While some factions advocate for alternate sites like Muradpur and the present DC office complex, the majority of local civil society members strongly support the current DC office location having areas of 20 Kanal, emphasizing its centrality and convenience for the public.
The situation in Rajouri contrasts sharply with neighboring regions, where similar projects have been completed. The Mini Secretariat in Reasi is already operational, and the one in Poonch has been finished, underscoring the unnecessary delays and financial losses suffered in Rajouri. Political wrangles and shifting construction sites have inflated the project cost, now expected to exceed Rs15 crores due to inflation. And if the work is permanently abandoned at this project site, nearly Rs 2 crore of public money would go waste, the sources said
The delay in constructing the Mini Secretariat has deprived Rajouri residents of efficient administrative services, exacerbating their daily struggles. The public call for immediate action highlights the urgency of resolving the location disputes and resuming construction without further delays. The completion of the Mini Secretariat is essential to provide Rajouri with a central administrative hub, improving governance and public service delivery.
DC Rajouri communicated the pressing need for a resolution to higher authorities, stressing that the completion of Mini Secretariat project is vital for the district’s development and the well-being of its residents.
Replying to a question Dy Commissioner Rajouri, O P Bhagat when contacted said earlier site at Kheora near DIET complex and Degree College was selected and some ground structure work was also initiated there. But during 2018-19 when the popular Government came to non-existence in J&K, some prominent and political people of Rajouri exerted pressure to raise new Mini Secretariat Complex at the existing place near Gujjar Mandi being centrally located place. It was also revealed that 89 Kanals of land was available at old complex while at new site there was only 20 kanals of land.
The issue was finally resolved during the tenure of the then DC, Rajouri, Vikas Kundal to redesign the old DC office complex and raise multi-storey building there with sufficient parking space and quarters for DC, SSP and few other senior officers. He said at present 39 district level officers sit in the existing complex and now we have planned to raise a complex having capacity/space for housing offices of nearly 45-50 officers in the new complex.
Bhagat further disclosed that Detailed Project Report (DPR) of the new Mini-Secretariat Complex is being prepared and the contract for the same has been allotted to a consultancy in Jammu. They are on the job. Later, after approval by the Government, the work at site near Gujjar Mandi will be started, the DC informed.
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