Centre sets target of 1399 SQM inspections for J&K in 2023-24
Nasir Azam
Srinagar, May 17 : The Government of India has set the target of 1399 inspections of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) works in Jammu & Kashmir during the ongoing financial year.
In a letter, a copy of which is in possession of news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), the National Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (NRIDA), Ministry of Rural Development, has asked the J&K government that State Quality Monitors (SQMs) should undertake 1399 inspections of PMGSY works in the UT during 2023-24.
Of which 1215 inspections should be carried out of roads and 184 of bridges, the letter states.
As per PMGSY operations manual, each work should be inspected at least thrice by State Quality Monitors (SQMs) at defined states of constructions.
The PMGSY works are inspected by National Quality Monitors and State Quality Monitors in States and Union Territories.
According to the letter, the SQM inspection targets for the current year have been set, based on the arrears of presently ongoing and recently completed projects. “You are kindly requested to ensure that the annual actual plan for SQM inspections is formulated to ensure that a requisite number of inspections are carried out by SQMs. These targets will also be monitored by NRIDA at frequent intervals,” the letter states.
In the past, J&K government has been pulled up by the Centre for failing to carry out inspection of works executed under the PMGSY.
On December 9, 2021, the Centre asked the J & K administration to look into why some works are not getting inspected once. “The pace of SQM inspections is quite slow. UT needs to pay attention to it,” read the record note of the pre-empowered powered committee meeting held to discuss proposals of J&K under the ambitious rural road connectivity programme—(KNO)
