Note ban: No visible impact on growth projects

Arteev Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, December 2

In a complete contrast to the Opposition parties’ outcry over the ban on Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes, demonetisation has made no visible impact on developmental activities across Jammu and Kashmir.

If officials at the helm of affairs are to be believed, all developmental works are being executed at the “desired” pace and the process “had not affected the executing agencies so far.” The demonetisation has encouraged the labour class to open bank accounts for e-transaction of wages.

“I don’t think we are affected anyway due to demonetisation. We make payments to contractors through cheques. I did not find any impact on our projects (as far as demonetisation is concerned) so far. Besides, I have not received even a single complaint from the labour class vis-à-vis non-payment of their wages. All projects are being executed at the desired pace,” said Daleep Thusu, Managing Director, Jammu and Kashmir Projects Construction Corporation Limited (JKPCC).

The JKPCC, a government-owned company, is one of the leading executing agencies which is constructing bridges and high-rise buildings, including colleges, hospitals and other structures of public use.

The Economic Reconstructing Agency (ERA), which is mandated to plan, implement and execute the externally aided projects in urban areas of the state on the behalf of the J&K Government, too faces little or no difficulty since the demonetisation came into effect on November 8.

Vinod Sharma, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the ERA, said, “We faced a few difficulties in transfer of wages to labour class on the pay day but the matter was sorted out with the opening of new bank accounts of those labourers who earlier did not have it. Apart from this, we don’t find any problem in executing our projects. We can safely say that it has negligible impact on developmental works being executed by the ERA.”

Similarly, Alok Mengi, Chief Engineer, Roads and Buildings (R&B) Department, said all developmental works were being executed at the same pace as before the demonetisation process.

“We did not find any visible impact on our projects. The payments to contractors are made through cheques and it is the job of contractors to further make payment of wages to the labour class. So far, nobody has come to us with any complaint,” he added.

The Opposition had slammed Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the decision of demonetisation, claiming that the common masses across the country had been subjected to hardships due to a cash crunch.