SRINAGAR: Chief Secretary, Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, today stressed on the officers of the Rural Development Department (RDD) to hold at least one monthly meeting of all the line departments for ironing out the issues related to development in each panchayat.
The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary, School Education; Commissioner Secretary, RDD; DG Budget; MD, JKRLM; Directors RDD Jammu/Kashmir and many other concerned officers and officials of the department.
Dr Mehta impressed upon the officers to ensure that each village is clean, hygienic and there is a smooth implementation of schemes like Jal Jeevan Mission, DDUGJY, MGNREGA, PMGSY, etc. He asked them to have regular interdepartmental meetings to formulate strategies for monitoring and better planning for each panchayat.
The Chief Secretary directed the officers of RDD to make it sure that each household in rural areas have availability of soak pits, Compost pits, system for grey water management before the celebration of Gandhi Jayanti this year. He also underscored on meeting the target of delivering all the 3620 Amrit Sarovars before this deadline. He asked them to rope in the local panchayat representatives for its better implementation and information among the masses.
The Chief Secretary also advised them to sensitize the school children about the benefits of cleanliness and involve them in keeping the surroundings of the school and their homes clean. He stressed on scientific disposal of solid waste and its door-to-door collection in rural areas. He asked for taking the assistance of NGOs, SHGs, or other welfare organizations in that direction as UT has enough funds earmarked under relevant grants.
Dr Mehta also asked the department to provide houses to the houseless on priority and also to those having Kaccha structures under the PMAY. He implored that the saturation of this scheme is very much possible in J&K and the department should work towards that. He also enquired about the works completed under MGNREGA and maintained that every jobless person should get work whenever he/she has need of it. He stated that the department should complete a record number of works this year under this programme. He also took note of the huge gap between tendered out and allotted works in the department.
The Chief Secretary further emphasised upon engaging each person in a rural area in some cultural or sporting activity. He also told the department to organise rural women into SHGs and engage them in any entrepreneurial activity for earning their livelihood. He also asked them to see that each panchayat has a rural haat to market the products prepared by these entrepreneurs.
The meeting was informed that Rs 3868.92 lakhs has been released under UT capex for carrying out 2410 works. It was also given out that 275 lakh person days of employment is targeted to be generated under the MGNREGA this financial year.
It was also revealed in the meeting that out of 3620 Amrit Sarovars, 1419 stands complete, and work on the rest is at different stages of completion. Under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Grameen 195188 cases had been sanctioned till date. Similarly, under Swachh Bharat Mission Grameen 3600 CSCs, 3017 SWM and Liquid Waste Management cases, 19 Plastic Waste Management, 30 Gobardhan projects, and 3 Faecal Sludge Management projects would be completed to make our villages clean and healthy, as was ascertained in the meeting.
