Rs. 1100 Crore World Bank Shimla scheme stuck up in bureaucracy: Tikender
Former Deputy Mayor of Shimla Municipal Corporation Tikender Singh Panwar said that the Rs 1100 Cr World Bank-funded project for the city is being held up by bureaucracy, as control over the project was given to a state government-owned company.
Mr. Panwar pointed out serious lapses in the World Bank-funded water and sewage project in Shimla, highlighting its gross failure. Excessive project valuation and favoritism in the tender process raise doubts about the project.
In a letter addressed to the WB Country Director, Mr. Panwar also brought up the same issue on April 01, 2023, stating that the project is being carried out by Shimla Jal Prabandhan Nigam Limited.
The project has two parts: a bulk water supply from the Satluj River and a performance-based contract to improve the water and sewage network in Shimla, the capital of Himachal Pradesh.
Mr. Panwar is calling for the WB to intervene in the current issues with the project, stating that it has not seen any progress in the past four years and requires a financial and administrative review.
Initially, this project needed to have autonomy with minimal government involvement. However, the registered company SJPNL is government-controlled, with the chief secretary serving as chairperson. The board of directors is more of a symbolic group that meets for formality.
The independent directors have not reviewed any projects at SJPNL in the past two years, suggesting they are incompetent or have no interest in improving the company’s operations.
The company mostly acts as an extension or attachment of the government and has mainly been staffed with retired personnel until recently.
