SRINAGAR: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, today chaired the Empowered Committee meeting of the Centre for Innovation, Technology Adoption, and Governance (CITaG) at Civil Secretariat, Srinagar, emphasizing its pivotal role in driving efficient, responsive and technology-driven governance in Jammu and Kashmir.
Highlighting the need for robust human resource support, the Chief Secretary stressed the timely selection of professionals, specialists and screening of advertised posts for timely manpower enhancement. He also called for robust internship engagements to strengthen project planning, documentation, field cooperation and on-ground implementation across the departments.
The Chief Secretary directed for a comprehensive capacity-building campaign, underlining the importance of training 450 officers to enhance project execution capabilities. He noted that training sessions conducted so far have been instrumental in fostering innovation and identifying viable development projects.
“The focus areas must include Public-Private Partnership (PPP) implementation, project feasibility and appraisal, solid waste management and urban infrastructure,” he stated.
The Committee was informed that 57 projects have been added under CITaG’s purview, with work on 17 key projects expected to accelerate by mid July.
The meeting was informed that 12 major projects, including establishment of a Skill University in J&K, solar power projects, proposals from the Islamic University of Science and Technology (IUST) and SKUAST-Kashmir besides three hydroelectric projects at Bhaderwah, SEWA II and Mohra. Besides, 13 hydropower projects, grouped into three regional clusters across the districts including Daksum (Anantnag), Suriender (Bandipora) and Sukhnag (Budgam) and other exclusive projects have been added.
To strengthen CITaG’s operational framework, the Chief Secretary instructed the officials to activate all verticals and build institutional capacity, ensuring that the government officers are equipped to function efficiently within the system. He emphasised that CITaG serves as a crucial coordination platform between the government and premier national institutions like IIT, IIM and AIIMS. He underlined the need to develop future-ready governance models that leverage technological advancements.
The Chief Secretary also reiterated the government’s commitment to promote and protect the culture of the region. He highlighted the formulation of a comprehensive Cultural Policy that recognizes culture as an essential part of J&K’s identity.
Talat Parvez Rohella, Secretary, Planning, Development & Monitoring Department, presented an overview of the progress under CITaG, including notable achievements. He informed the Committee that IIM Jammu has conducted training for 113 officers, with 94 additional officers trained at SKUAST-K to enhance their administrative and technical skills.
Professor B.S. Sahay, Director, IIM Jammu, also addressed the meeting, offering insights and recommendations to further advance the project implementation under CITaG.
The meeting was attended by Vice Chancellors of various universities; MD and CEO of J&K Bank, Principal Secretary Finance; Director IIM Jammu; Commissioner Secretary GAD; Secretary Planning; Secretary Law and senior officers from IIM Jammu, CITaG, and other government departments.
