Report: Arun Bakshi :

National Conference Provincial President and former MLA Nagrota Mr Devender Singh Rana on Saturday expressed serious concern over the structural cracks developed in the under-construction building for Government Degree College at Jindrah and urged the Government to institute an enquiry into poor and substandard quality of work ,  fix responsibility and punish those responsible for the gross negligence. "It is intriguing how a building has developed structural cracks during the process of construction and speaks volumes about the expertise and material being used", Mr Rana said in a statement issued from Sher-e-Kashmir Bhavan here this afternoon.However, MD Housing Suleiman Salaria(IPS) clarified to the THE PUBLISH team that since, the land handed over for the construction of Jindrah Degree College is sinking, the two 132 KV Towers adjoining the degree college are also developing cracks and the same has happened with the college. He added that since the college has not been handed over to the Higher Education department and is still under construction, all the cracks shall be filled and only after the building is fit for use in all respects, it shall be handed over to the Higher Education department.Alleviating the fears of the locals, he assured that the best quality material has been used for construction and all the problems shall be rectified before the handing over of the building.  The Provincial President observed that the quality of building has shattered the confidence of the people who were awaiting shifting of the college to new complex. This is disgusting,more so because the building was to be used by young students, whose safety would have been in tremendous jeopardy had such cracks developed after functioning of the college, he said and pleaded for stopping the work forth with till safety audit is carried out by the experts in the field. In the meantime, Mr Rana sought quality-cum-safety audit of the building in the larger interest of people. He expressed anguish over the sub-standard quality of work,hoping that the administration will take cognizance, fix responsibility and ensure safety norms and quality control, even if it entails dismantling of the structure.  "There can't be any compromise with regard to safety of precious human lives", Mr Rana added