KV Correspondent

Eight years on, ITI building still under construction

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The construction of an Industrial Training Institute (ITI) in Zainakote area of Srinagar has not seen the light of the day. Even after the construction was approved in 2009 the civil works have not been completed.

Pertinently, the ITI on the city outskirts was approved in 2009 under centrally sponsored scheme to decrease the congestion in Industrial Training Institute (ITI) at Bagh-i-Dilawar Khan Srinagar. 

“The idea was to shift some of the departments of Bagh-i-Dilawar Khan campus to newly constructed ITI at Industrial Estate Zainakote to overcome the over crowdedness in this institute,” Principal, ITI Bagh-i-Dilawar Khan, Srinagar, Mohammad Ashraf Wani said.

He said that “the ITI Bagh-i-Dilawar Khan is spread on just 12 kanals of Land and we are facing lot of problems here as there are 34 courses offered in this college”. “There is no playground in this institute as well,” he added.

The construction of the Zainakote campus was started in 2009 and its foundation stone was laid by R S Chib, former J & K Minister, but despite passing the construction deadline which ended in 2011, the construction is still incomplete.  

The ITI Zainakote was approved for Total cost of Rs.484.03 Lakh which includes a Workshop block, Hostel block, compound wall and development of land.

Locals also complained that the ITI is under construction for several years and the authorities are not serious about its construction.

“The construction work is moving at a snail’s pace, eight years have passed but the construction work in the college is not complete yet,” said Ishfaq Ahmad a local resident.

It took them almost two years just to construct the roof of the building. They are not doing their work properly, he added.

Importantly, the construction work of the ITI has been handed over to Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) Housing Board. The board was asked to complete the construction work on the stipulated time.

“The devastating floods of 2014 which wreaked havoc across the Valley and the unrest last year were the reasons that led to breakdown of the construction schedule,” General Manager, J & K Housing Board, Aftab Pandit said.

He also said that the bearing capacity of the soil on which the college is being constructed is very low.

“That is why it took us more time to start timely construction,” he added.

However, he said the college will be ready within five or six months as almost 92 percent of the construction work is complete.


KV Correspondent

Kashmir Correspondent cover all daily updates for the newspaper

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