Srinagar, Nov 01 (KNS): Tenders worth around 100 crores, which were issued for the works to be carried out under Jal Jeevan Mission in PHE division Bandipora for repairing and construction of various water supply schemes (WSS), have been cancelled, sources said here on Monday.

Sources told Kashmir News Service (KNS) that the Jal hakti Department Bandipora has cancelled all the tenders worth around 100 crores even after contractors had submitted their tenders and the same were accepted by the government.

“The tenders have been cancelled for reasons best known to the officials of Jal Shakti department. These tenders have been cancelled at a time when government is claiming to provide potable drinking water to every household in Jammu and Kashmir under PM’s Jal Jeevan Mission. These tenders were issued under Jal Jeevan Mission to carry out works for repairing, construction of water supply schemes and laying of water pipes in far flung areas of Bandipora PHE Division,” they said.

They also said that the officials of PHE division in Bandipora want to sabotage the mission of providing potable drinking water to every household in J&K under PM’s Jal Jeevan Mission.

Meanwhile, talking to KNS Bandipora Contractors Association president, Naseer Ahmad Mir said that the contractors had already submitted their tenders around 4 months ago and the same were accepted by the government, however, for reasons best known to the officials of Jal Shakti Department the tenders have been cancelled.

“Even the chief engineer of the department did not ask the concerned official of PHE division Bandipora that what has happened to the tenders submitted around 4 months ago. Now after four months these tenders have been cancelled and works under Jal Jeevan Mission worth crores have come to a halt now,” he said.

He said that most of these works were to be carried out in upper reaches of Bandipora where potable drinking water is still not available and under Jal Jeevan mission the residents had to be provided with potable drinking, however, the same has now come to a halt.

He said that the LG Administration should enquire into the matter as to why these tenders have been cancelled as it seems that there is some political agenda behind the same.

He also said that the contractors had deposited lakhs of rupees under bank guarantee for acquiring loans for carrying out the works for same as they had submitted their tenders for carrying out the works.

He also said that they had submitted the bank charges worth lakhs as well, which they will not get back and as such the contractors have suffered huge losses due to cancellation of these tenders.

“We had already submitted the tenders and they were also accepted by the government around 4 months ago, however, due to unknown reasons the tenders have now been cancelled,” he said.

Meanwhile, as per details available with KNS the works were to be carried out for at least 59 water supply schemes in PHE division Bandipora.

“Funds worth around 151 crores for these water supply schemes were allotted under Jal Jeevan Mission, and tenders worth around 100 crores were issued and the same have now been cancelled,” the details reveal.

Notably, last week Joint Director Planning Bandipora, Imtiyaz Ahmad while reviewing the implementation of JJM said that Rs 309 crore Plan has now been approved for Bandipora district, which envisages construction of 30 new Filtration plants, 60 Reservoirs in addition to 100 percent coverage of households with functional water connections.

According to the official statement issued by the district administration on Thursday last week, 113 DPRs were prepared under JJM out of which 102 DPRs are being revised.

The statement also said that 70 DPRs have been received while 32 DPRs are still pending.

JDP Bandipora, according to the statement had directed officers of PHE to submit the revised DPRs within a week’s time for further action.

When contacted, chief engineer Jal Shakti Department Kashmir did not respond to repeated calls from this reporter.

Meanwhile, a senior official of PHE (now Jal Shakti) department said that the government has ordered the cancellation of tenders to accommodate price escalation.

“There is a written order to cancel tenders with the direction to make revised DPRs and float new tenders within ten days,” he said. (KNS)