In a first, LG announces Rs 12,600 crore District Capex Budget for current fiscal
Calls it 'historic day for J&K', asks officials to ensure ‘change is visible on ground’
Srinagar: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday announced Rs 12,600.58 crore District Capex Budget for Jammu and Kashmir for current fiscal, more than double of the previous year’s budget, for “equitable development of UT with active involvement of Panchayats, BDCs and DDCs” constituted recently.
The “historic and unprecedented” District Capex Budget for all 20 districts was approved during a high-level meeting, chaired by the LG Sinha here at the Civil Secretariat, an official press release informed.
It said during the marathon meeting, 20 chairpersons of District Development Councils, and all Deputy Commissioners gave a brief overview of their respective District Plans.
Highlighting the key features of the District Capex Budget, the LG observed that the community need-based plan has been prepared through public/PRI’s participation which focuses on a rapid rise in the standard of living of the people, employment opportunities to the locals, ensuring better roads, potable water and electricity, tourism potential, empowering youth and determining other priorities as per the public demand.
Sinha said that the bottom-up approach has been adopted to map optimal strategy for socio-economic development, sustainable and inclusive growth at the grass-root level, strengthening of basic amenities, and development of human capital by solidifying health and educational institutions.
“J&K is witnessing a new dawn. For the first time, after the detailed deliberations, a plan has been prepared with collective efforts of the PRIs and the administration. The active participation of the public and their representatives in the planning process has laid a strong foundation for the developmental plans at Gram Panchayat, block and district levels,” observed the LG.
“The district plan preparations started at Panchayat level and through BDC, it finally reached the DDC,” he added.
While congratulating the DDCs, BDCs, Sarpanches, Panches, and the officials of UT administration for preparing the “historic” district development plan, Sinha maintained that the community-based planning will play a key role in the implementation of the development works.
“With this historic move, the three-tier Panchayati Raj system has been further empowered through funds, functions and functionaries in J&K UT to cater to the developmental needs of the people through efficient mobilization of resources,” added the LG.
He directed the Deputy Commissioners to take urgent action in order to tackle implementation constraints in infrastructure projects.
More than 80 percent works taken up this year should be completed within 12-months with the true spirit of ‘Jan Bhagidari’ (public participation) and through help of PRIs, the LG told the DCs.
He further asked the DCs and PRIs to focus on youth engagement, solid waste management, improving health and education sectors, provision of clean drinking water/irrigation facilities, better mobility, livelihood generation, and tourism and sports infrastructure. He advised the DCs to maintain connect with the public, besides sharing best practices for better and effective implementation of developmental works.
“Fulfilling people’s requirements is the top-most priority of the UT government. The change must be visible on the ground. People need better governance, transparency and timely completion of welfare projects,” the LG remarked.
Reiterating the directions passed in earlier meetings, he further instructed the DCs for updation of the districts’ websites with details of beneficiary-oriented and social security schemes, works under District Plans, besides ensuring availability of online services to the people.
Emphasizing on maintaining transparency and accountability in the implementation of the district plan, the LG asked the concerned functionaries to ensure that each Panchayat must display the list of plans approved and date of completion of the works.
The LG further informed that the government is initiating District Evaluation Framework which will be finalized soon and the performances of the districts and their ranking will be published monthly. An institutional mechanism will be put in place for monthly review of the progress in every district, he added.
