22/06/2025
Dr. Audil Farooq Mir Lasjan Demands Structural Overhaul in J&K’s Failing Infrastructure
Questions Superficial Reforms; Pushes for Engineering-Led Solutions for J&K Roads
Srinagar, June 21: Congress leader and Media Coordinator for Kashmir, Dr. Audil Farooq Mir Lasjan, has delivered a powerful critique of the Jammu and Kashmir administration’s approach to infrastructure development, urging an end to superficial announcements and demanding a bold, systemic overhaul to address the deep-rooted crisis plaguing roads and bridges across the region.
Responding to the Deputy Chief Minister’s recent proclamation on blacklisting non-performing contractors and enforcing quality control under major schemes such as NABARD, PMGSY, CRIF, and the state’s macadamisation programs, Dr. Audil said the issues go far beyond errant contractors. “The rot lies not in intention but in execution—our problems begin at the drawing board,” he said.
He highlighted alarming shortcomings in project planning and design, including the frequent absence of topographic surveys, soil studies, or hydrological assessments in Detailed Project Reports (DPRs). “Site verifications are often skipped. Tenders are floated before securing land or forest clearances. This is not how a responsible administration functions,” he asserted.
Dr. Audil cited delayed and poorly executed projects—like the unfinished Shrunz Bridge, the approach-less Vethpora Bridge, and the tragic Gandabal footbridge where lives were lost—as stark examples of what he called “institutional indifference and planning paralysis.”
He also brought to light the irrational application of outdated Schedule of Rates (SORs) across geographies as diverse as the flood-prone plains of Kashmir and the mountainous Pir Panjal belt.
“These outdated SORs distort budgets and force contractors into corners where quality becomes the casualty,” he said, noting that there is little coordination even among government departments implementing similar projects under different funding streams.
Dr. Audil added that the Rambagh–Lasjan–Kadalbal Road is another glaring example of the tragic infrastructure deficit. Despite having been projected under various institutions—whether World Bank-funded projects, CRIF, NABARD, or PMGSY—the road remains in shambles, marred by potholes and broken shoulder embankments, even though it serves as one of the region’s vital connectivity routes.
On the legal front, Dr. Audil raised alarms over the substandard contract agreements used by government departments in J&K. Unlike modern models such as FIDIC or EPC contracts, local agreements fail to safeguard against unforeseen events, lack compensation clauses for government-induced delays, and offer no protection against price escalations or tax policy shifts. “How can you expect timely delivery when the system itself is tilted against the executor?” he questioned.
Calling for a shift from posturing to performance, Dr. Audil, who is also a trained policy analyst, proposed a series of reforms: establishing an independent engineering panel under the PWD to scrutinize and vet DPRs, updating and regionalising SORs, implementing escrow-based payments to ensure fiscal discipline, and launching publicly accessible, geo-tagged dashboards for real-time infrastructure tracking.
More importantly, he emphasized the need for legally robust and fair contracts that define responsibilities clearly and include dispute resolution frameworks. “You can’t demand accountability without offering protection,” he said.
Concluding with a call to action, Dr. Audil urged the Deputy Chief Minister to go beyond press briefings and commit to policy shifts that will restore public trust.
“People don’t want more blame games—they want bridges that connect, roads that endure, and governance that works. As John F. Kennedy said, ‘America is rich because of its good roads.’ Jammu and Kashmir deserves no less.”
