Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Friday said it has accelerated the pace of execution of Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP) projects in a bid to improve the physical infrastructure in the UT.
As per an official handout, the expenditure on the PMDP has reached upto Rs 34,653 crore ending October 2021 “resulting in fast moving improvement of physical infrastructure here”.
It said that 21 major projects funded by the PMDP have been either completed or substantially completed and nine projects are likely to be completed by this financial year.
The government said that J&K has achieved 100 percent household electrification under Saubhagya scheme before the target date and 3,57,405 beneficiaries have been covered saying it has “embarked on a path of smart metering and around 20 Lakh consumers shall be covered under Smart Metering Programme”.
“As of now, installation of two lakh meters is already underway and installation of another six lakh is being finalized under Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme,” it said.
“Further to improve the power infrastructure as well as distribution in Jammu and Kashmir, the government is committed to increase power generation of J&K as the UT has vast potential for hydroelectricity. Power projects with 3500 MW capacity are going to solve most of the power woes in Jammu and Kashmir.”
As per the government handout, all the rural Anganwari centres, schools and health institutions have been provided with functional tap water connections.
“It is worthwhile to note that two districts, Srinagar and Ganderbal have provided 100 percent functional tap water connection to all households. UT is targeting provision of 100 percent functional tap water connection to all households by 15th August 2022,” it said.
It said that in order to provide “good all-weather road connectivity to unconnected habitations, all habitations over 1000 population (as per 2011 census) have been provided road connectivity and the habitations with 500 population will be provided roads by ending 2022”.
“In respect of the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana(PMGSY), J&K has moved in overall ranking in the country from 9th place in 2016-17 to 3rd position in 2020-21,” it added.
“Dedicated policy for maintenance of road infrastructure has been approved by the UT government during 2021-22. Defect Liability Period (DLP) of 3 years has been made mandatory wherein the contractor associated with the project has to maintain the road during the DLP and the contractor has been made liable for the same”.
The government said that “significant improvement has been achieved in the status of National Highway-44 thereby reducing the travel time from 10 hours to 6 hours, owing to opening of Navyug Tunnel and completion of different stretches under the four laning of NH-44 project”.
“To provide livelihood opportunities to weaker sections of society, 21000 Certificates of Vending (CoV) have been issues by government to street vendors under Street Vendors (Protection of Livelihood and Regulation of Street Vending) Act, 2014, giving them assured right of vending at specified places without any hindrance,” it said.
As for cleaning and restoration of Dal Lake, the government said a “massive cleaning operation of Dal Lake has been started and as a result, more than 10 sq km of area has been cleared of weed both manually as well as by mechanical means”.
The Committee of Experts constituted by the High Court of J&K has recommended that the Lake Conservation and Management Authority will engage Delhi Metro Rail Corporation for “design, development, manufacture, transport and commissioning of Lake Cleaning Machines in Dal Lake”.
“In short it can be said that the government with the help of the central government has boosted the infrastructure as well as other developmental aspects in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. In coming years the Union Territory will be transformed both in terms of development as well as economic means as a large number of projects and schemes are underway here which will change the entire economic landscape of Jammu and Kashmir”.
