Poor response to tenders stalls bunker construction in Rajouri

JAMMU: Poor response from bidders have slowed down the process to construct 5,500 bunkers, 200 community halls and border bhawans approved by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for the safety of residents along the Line of Control in Rajouri during ceasefire violations.

Labourers repair a bunker near the border in Jammu. File photo

kram Sharma

Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 22

Poor response from bidders have slowed down the process to construct 5,500 bunkers, 200 community halls and border bhawans approved by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for the safety of residents along the Line of Control in Rajouri during ceasefire violations.

Family-type and community bunkers, community halls and border bhawans were part of the construction plan sanctioned in May 2018, which was to be completed before the financial year.

“After an approval from the MHA, the tendering process was started immediately. However, the pricing of tenders did not invite potential bidders and the work got withheld,” said Mohammad Aijaz Asad, Rajouri Deputy Commissioner.

He said a week after the approval, the administration had floated tenders but no response was received from bidders. He, however, informed that the work on bunker construction could be taken only in mid-January this year and it was progressing at a desired pace.

“More than 150 bunkers have been constructed in Nowshera while the work to build more is in progress in Rajouri tehsil as well,” the DC said, adding that the whole process was likely to be completed next year.

A total of 5,196 bunkers are being constructed in seven blocks along the 120-km-long stretch of the Line of Control (LoC). These include Sunderbani, Qila Drahal, Nowshera, Doongi, Rajouri, Panjgrain and Manajakote. In all, 260 community bunkers and 160 community halls will also be constructed in villages located in 0-3 km distance from the LoC for accommodation of people during ceasefire violation, prompted migration or emergency evacuation.

The border bhawans to accommodate more than 10,000 people will be constructed in the safer areas of Sunderbani, Nowshera, Doongi, Rajouri and Manjakote.

The review meeting to construct bunkers chaired by the then Deputy Commissioner, Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, on May 26, 2018, decided that every family residing in 0-3 km range from the LoC will be provided an individual family bunker while community bunkers and halls will be strictly constructed near schools, hospitals, police stations/posts, government buildings and panchayat ghars for the safe accommodation of better utilisation during peace time.