JAMMU: The Jammu University is incurring an annual loss of more than Rs 2 crore due to lackadaisical approach of University Works Department (UWD) towards the residential quarters of staff especially officers and teachers.
The efficiency of those managing the affairs of works department can be understood from the fact that half of the accommodations meant for officers and professors of varsity are lying vacant due to complete neglect maintained at infrastructure for over a decade. Similar is the situation of quarters meant for non gazette employees of varsity.
Most of the flats are in very bad shape and facing seepage problems besides the condition of toilets as well as bathroom is also in bad shape and generally the flats are devoid of whitewash for past several years, told JU insiders adding that poor condition of staff quarters in JU is mainly because of sub standard works carried on and off by the concerned engineers by resorting to irregularities in funds meant for the renovation, alleged a JU officer preferring anonymity.
Sub standard construction activities is altogether another notorious chapter in JU wherein funds worth crores swindles by engineers-officers nexus, alleged a senior officer.
Ironically, this deplorable condition of residential quarters forced several teachers to opt for rented accommodation outside the campus. Consequently, it causes loss of revenue worth crores to varsity authorities due to non usage of its existing infrastructure” said an officer of JU preferring anonymity.
Nearly 25 quarters meant for teachers and officers of JU are lying vacant as despite allotment the beneficiaries refuse to take possession as the same deemed not suitable for healthy living environment.
Interestingly, out of the existing 60 staff quarters meant for gazette employees of the varsity half are lying vacant. The university officers and teachers used to get HRA from Rs 20 K to 40K which goes to varsity coffers if they opt for accommodation within the campus.
Blaming the higher ups in the JU administration for turning blind eye towards this grave situation, one officer wishing anonymity told JK Global News “for reasons known to everyone, the UWD is only keen towards new construction projects”.
However, it was also revealed that even the new construction projects are not taken up seriously by the S.E/Xen/AEE as the same can be well catapulted from the fact that even a recently constructed teachers block near the VC lodge in the new campus got cracks within six months after taking over the possession from the contractor thereby giving enough hints about the substandard work done by the uwd. There is behind the curtain equations between officers of UWD and some officers of JU administration with the result result the former never bothered to attend to the concern raised by the occupants towards poor condition of quarters”.
“Due to lack of repairing and renovation for more than a decade, the condition of staff quarters is worse and pathetic which is not commensurate to the status of Teachers and Officers of the varsity. This situation is more appalling in case of accommodation meant for non teaching staff, said a senior member of teaching fraternity.
Despite our requisitions and repeated complaints, university works departments who enjoy proximity with higher ups in JU are unmoved to improve the conditions of residential quarters during the last one decade, said a Professor of JU. The quarters and its premises are apparently left at God mercy, he added.
The condition of residential quarters at old campus is crumbling and depict sorry state of affairs prevailing in UWD, said another teacher.
However, contrary to the civil work many teachers and officers seem to be satisfied with the functioning of the electrical wing of the UWD. After having contacted some teachers and officers expressed happiness that inspite of only one AEE electrical and having a heavy workload the maintenance of the electrical infrastructure is much better than the civil infrastructure. It was further noticed during the interaction that for the last many years posts AE Electrical and JE Electrical are lying vacant in university and the no one seem be bothered to fill these posts, in spite of the fact there is shortage of staff in the electric wing of the UWD.
Sources further revealed that the shortage of manpower in the electric wing is hampering the speedy execution of various projects of electrical works in the main campus and other offsite campuses in Bhadrawah, Kishtwar, Udhampur, Reasi, Ramnagar, Kathua and Poonch. Sources also revealed that there is no Exen. Electrical who is empowered to pass the bills related to electric projects . All bills related to electric projects are passed by the XEN civil who according to CVC/CPWD guidelines is not empowered to pass such bills.
This is a matter of great concern that all the bills for Electrical works amounting to lakhs of Rupees are being passed by the Executive Engineer (civil) which is serious violation of CPWD/CVC/JKPWD works guidelines /norms.
When contacted, Superintendent Engineer of JU works department Er. Vidhu Sharma clarified that entire renovation works carried in accordance with availability of grants vis viz preference list approved by a committee comprising of nearly 15 members and headed by VC.
Further refuting allegations of sub standard renovation, Executive Engineer Suresh Sharma said ” We used premium quality material for renovation of residential quarters. For that matter, even the then Vigilance Organization has gave satisfactory report. On average, we received nearly 60 lakh funds on annual basis which is bifurcated into three categories (civil, electrical and sanitary) which is too meagre for carrying renovation of nearly 220 residential accommodations which are almost 40 years old. Strangely, even the flats which are fully furnished still not occupied by the allotee for reasons best known to them, added Sharma.