delaying development | Engineering wing pullout stalls school infrastructure development

Srinagar, Jan 3: The withdrawal of the Engineering Wing from the School Education Department (SED) by the J&K administration has taken a toll on the execution of crucial projects aimed at strengthening school infrastructure standards in Jammu and Kashmir.

The decision, executed in August last year, has led to delays in the completion of projects, impacting the targets set under the SamagraShiksha scheme.

An official said that the separate Engineering Wing was allotted to the SED which was entrusted with execution of projects sanctioned by the Department of School Education and Literacy (DSEL) under the SamagraShiksha scheme.

“However, the abrupt decision to withdraw the Engineering Wing has disrupted the smooth flow of project execution,” the official said.

The official said that it took the department two months to transfer all the ongoing and pending projects to the Roads and Buildings (R&B) Department.

“This transition period consumed valuable time and adversely affected the pace at which projects were being carried out, subsequently hindering the achievement of targets,” the official said.

In the financial year 2023-24, SamagraShiksha had set a target to complete 1200 projects, focusing on improving the infrastructural standards of schools.

However, only 500 projects have been completed so far, leaving a staggering 700 projects pending.

The delay in project execution has raised concerns about achieving the set goals within the stipulated time frame.

Prior to the withdrawal of the Engineering Wing, the SED benefited from having a designated engineering wing, which expedited the completion of projects on time.

Talking to Greater Kashmir, Project Director SamagraShiksha, J&K, Deep Raj admitted that the set target was not met due to shifting of the engineering wing of the department.

“Against the target of 1200 works, we have completed 500 works till December end. But we are hopeful that we will complete a few more works in coming months and complete 1000 projects till the end of this financial year 2023-24,” he said.