SRINAGAR: Ramesh Kumar on Tuesday assumed charge as Secretary of the Rural Development Department and Panchayati Raj (RDD&PR), Jammu and Kashmir, and reviewed the implementation of key rural development schemes, including rural employment, housing, livelihood generation and capacity-building programmes.
After taking charge, Kumar convened a meeting with senior departmental officers at the Civil Secretariat in Srinagar to review ongoing initiatives, identify priorities and discuss measures to improve rural development and strengthen Panchayati Raj institutions across the Union Territory.
The review covered the Viksit Bharat–Guarantee for Rozgar and Ajeevika Mission (Gramin) (VB-G RAM-G), Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana–Gramin (PMAY-G), National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM), Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP), Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA) and Himayat.
The discussions focused on the implementation of programmes aimed at generating rural employment, providing housing assistance to eligible households, strengthening rural infrastructure, improving livelihoods and expanding employment opportunities for women and young people.
Kumar said the department’s primary responsibility was to address the needs and aspirations of the rural population. He directed officers to prioritise projects and interventions that deliver tangible and measurable benefits to people at the grassroots level.
He also stressed the need for officers at all levels to discharge their responsibilities effectively and work in coordination to improve departmental functioning. The focus, he said, should be on translating government policies and programmes into meaningful outcomes for rural communities.
Kumar appreciated the initiatives already undertaken to streamline departmental operations and improve the implementation of rural development schemes.
The meeting was attended by Secretary in the department Rachna Sharma, Director Finance Umar Khan, Joint Director Planning Kamal Kumar, Additional Secretary Waseem Raja and under secretaries of the department.
