SRINAGAR: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, today chaired a comprehensive review meeting of the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (RD&PR) Department to assess the progress of key flagship schemes like Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G), Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin (SBM-G), and the placement-linked skill training programme Himayat (DDU-GKY).
The meeting was attended by Secretary, Rural Development Department, Aijaz Asad; Director General, Rural Sanitation, Anoo Malhotra; and Managing Director, Himayat, Rajneesh Gupta, among other senior officers of the department.
At the outset, the Chief Secretary directed the department to adopt a mission-mode approach to ensure the timely completion of all pending PMAY-G houses and to expedite the sanctioning and rollout of new placement plans under Himayat. He emphasized continuous monitoring, data-based progress tracking, and adherence to set timelines to maximise the impact of rural development interventions.
The Secretary, RDD, Aijaz Asad, informed the meeting that Jammu and Kashmir has achieved 95% completion under PMAY-G. Out of a total sanctioned target of 3,34,718 houses, 3,18,542 have been completed, while 16,176 are under various stages of construction.
Of these pending houses, 6,933 are currently in progress, 1,240 at plinth level and 5,693 at lintel/roof cast level and are targeted for completion by December 31, 2025. An expenditure of Rs35.08 Cr has been earmarked for their completion.
Under the upcoming PMAY-G 2.0 phase, it was added that 5,02,101 household surveys have been conducted to identify new beneficiaries. Additionally, the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, has approved 5,061 houses under a special project for families affected by natural calamities. Registration for this special project is scheduled to conclude by October 31, 2025.
The Chief Secretary commended the department’s significant progress in rural sanitation under Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin, noting that the Union Territory is on track to achieve 100% ODF+ Model status across all villages.
DG, Rural Sanitation, Anoo Malhotra, apprised that out of 6,216 villages, 6,115 have already been declared as ODF+ Model — achieving 98.38% saturation. The remaining 69 villages are expected to attain ODF+ Model status by mid-November 2025.
Verification is also advancing steadily, with 5,409 villages having successfully completed the first round of verification. Verification of all ODF+ Model villages is planned to be completed by December 2025.
The meeting also reviewed progress on the formulation of key policies, including the Operation & Maintenance (O&M) Policy for Solid and Liquid Waste Management (SLWM) and the Fecal Sludge Management (FSM) Policy, which will regulate and license private desludging operators across rural areas.
Under the Annual Implementation Plan (AIP) 2025–26, the department reported the completion of 738 Community Sanitary Complexes (CSCs) and 1,905 Community Soak Pits, strengthening the rural sanitation infrastructure.
Reviewing progress under the Himayat programme, Managing Director, Himayat, Rajneesh Gupta, informed that 35,682 candidates have been trained so far, with 14,734 placed in various sectors against a sanctioned target of 81,797 trainees. The cumulative expenditure under the scheme stands at Rs318.80 Cr.
Under the revamped DDU-GKY 2.0, the scheme has an approved outlay of Rs37.64 Cr. The Himayat Mission Management Unit (HMMU) has received 68 project proposals from prospective Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs) and will conduct a Pre-PAC meeting in the first week of November 2025 to finalize project sanctions.
Highlighting the department’s outreach initiatives, the Chief Secretary was informed that during the Seva Parv placement drive, over 125 offer letters were issued to trained candidates. A Counselling-cum-Call Centre has also been established in collaboration with IIT Jammu to enhance post-placement support and guidance.
Concluding the review, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo directed all departmental heads to maintain strict timelines, ensure real-time monitoring, and adopt accountability-driven implementation mechanisms to accelerate progress across all flagship programmes.
He underscored that the primary goal of these initiatives is to deliver tangible benefits to rural citizens and strengthen grassroots governance through efficient, transparent, and people-centric development interventions.
