JAMMU: Secretary, Rural Development Department (RDD) and Panchayati Raj, Mohammad Aijaz Asad, on Monday emphasised the need to expedite the construction of Panchayat Ghars (PGs), Common Service Centres (CSCs) and Panchayat Learning Centres (PLCs) across Jammu and Kashmir.
While chairing a meeting held in this regard, the Secretary directed for ensuring completion of all ongoing works of Panchayat Ghars by March 31, 2025. He sought the intervention of Deputy Commissioners (DCs) in the projects wherever land related issues for Panchayat Ghars still exist. As of now, 258 Panchayat Ghars have been completed.
The Secretary stressed that Panchayat Ghars are essential for strengthening local self-governance, enhancing rural administration, and ensuring better service delivery to citizens.
Furthermore, the Secretary set a deadline of February 3 for submission of balance Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for PGs planned for the 2024-25 fiscal. He also instructed that the Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs) must be uploaded immediately with an emphasis on addressing bottlenecks in infrastructure development to ensure timely completion of these projects. He added that the ongoing work on PGs and CSCs is vital for effective local governance. He highlighted that the additional rooms being added to existing PGs for CSCs would provide citizens with improved access to digital services, including online applications, banking and various government schemes.
This initiative, he said, would not only streamline services but also contribute significantly towards enhancing digital literacy and fostering greater inclusion in rural areas.
In addition, the Secretary reviewed division-wise progress on PLCs and asked the district officials to complete installation of required equipment by March 31. He urged upon the nodal officers to ensure that centralised specifications for equipment are delivered to the concerned PLCs without delay.
During the meeting, the Secretary also reviewed the status of Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs), which define the development priorities for each village. He noted that while the majority of GPDPs had been approved and uploaded, efforts should be made to ensure the remaining ones are completed on time to prevent delays in local development activities.
Director Panchayati Raj, Sham Lal, gave a detailed presentation regarding progress on Panchayat Ghars (PGs), Common Service Centres (CSCs) and Panchayat Learning Centres (PLCs). He provided an update on the status of ongoing PG projects, highlighting that while many had reached their final stages, some were still in the construction or planning phase.
The meeting was attended by Director RDD Jammu, Mumtaz Ali; Superintending Engineer REW Kashmir, Aamir Ali; Superintending Engineer REW Jammu, Rajesh Kumar; Deputy Secretary RDD, Sheetal Pandita and all Assistant Commissioners Panchayat (ACP).
