ADB yet to begin assessment of damage losses
The government efforts to get the funding for reconstruction of flood damaged infrastructure has hit a roadblock as Asian Development Bank (ADB) has not carried out the assessment of losses suffered by public and private property in the Valley due to floods.
Sources said even as an ADB team had visited the state in November last year for preliminary review of damages caused to the infrastructure, the global financial institution has not been associated with the World Bank team to carry out the joint assessment of the damages caused by the floods.
In Uttrakhand, the WB and ADB had prepared a joint assessment report and on basis of which they had lent over $ 400 million to Central government for rebuilding the damaged infrastructure. The WB had also helped build the houses in Uttrakhand that could withstand the natural disasters.
Sources said there is an uncertainty over ADB lending to the Central government, which would have come as a grant to the J&K due to slow performance on projects that have been taken up after the financial assistance from the bank.
Unlike Jammu and Kashmir, officials said in Uttrakhand, the entire assessment by the World Bank and ADB was carried out within three months of the floods there.
“The ADB is working on a number of projects in the State including construction of flyover from Jehangir Chowk to Rambagh and laying of drainage network in the State. However, the pace of implementation of these projects has been slow,” said a senior government official.
A top official in Finance Department said ADB has already sanctioned loans to the State and “government will initiate discussions with the Bank over the money that has been saved from the projects from its funding which could be used for the reconstruction of flood damaged infrastructure.”
“Separate discussions will begin with ADB and there is a possibility that the funds that have already come as grant to the state from the ADB loans for different infrastructure projects could be used for reconstruction of the flood-affected infrastructure,” he said.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA), Thaseen Mustafa, said World Bank team has already started the assessment in the State.
“The government has to decide how to involve the ADB in the funding for flood-hit infrastructure. We have taken up different projects with ADB funding and the construction of Flyover in Rambagh will be completed by March 2017,” he said.
