Chief Secretary visits Samba

Samba, Dec 6: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo Saturday visited Samba and took comprehensive review of developmental scenario and implementation of key government schemes across the district in a meeting held at District Administrative Complex here.
Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Ramesh Kumar; Deputy Commissioner Samba, Ayushi Sudan; Chief Conservator of Forests Jammu; Chief Engineers of CPWD, Jal Shakti (PHE), Flood Control, and PWD; Directors of Agriculture, Command Area, Geology and Mining departments, Director Colleges, all district-level and sectoral officers of Samba district attended the meeting.
During the meeting, the Chief Secretary undertook a detailed appraisal of targets and achievements across multiple sectors and flagship programmes. The review encompassed critical schemes like Jal Jeevan Mission, PMGSY, AMRUT 2.0, NABARD works, school education initiatives, solarisation of government buildings, Swachh Bharat Mission, National Tuberculosis Elimination Programme, Nasha Mukt Abhiyan, Mission Youth, HADP targets, IWMP, agriculture and horticulture schemes, Poshan Abhiyan, and various health sector indicators. Progress under major infrastructure projects, particularly the Amritsar-Katra Expressway was also assessed during the meeting.
The Chief Secretary directed all departments to strengthen inter-departmental coordination, expedite ongoing works, and submit monthly progress reports on priority schemes to ensure their timely completion and effective implementation.
He emphasized on the need for expanding coverage under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, encouraging higher enrolment in government schools, and accelerating flood-control measures across the district. He also directed officials to ensure completion of pending works under PWD, irrigation, and road infrastructure departments.
Progress under Mission YUVA and vibrant village initiatives was thoroughly reviewed during the meeting and special emphasis was laid on timely delivery of public services and transparent implementation of welfare schemes.
The Chief Secretary further called for breaking the nexus between illegal mining, arms trafficking, and drug smuggling. He underscored the need for strict enforcement, proactive intelligence-sharing, and coordinated field action, directing the district administration to intensify vigilance and ensure that illegal operations are curbed through systematic and sustained crackdowns. He stressed that strict action must be taken against all forms of unlawful activities to maintain law and order in the district.
While reviewing issues regarding delays in land allotment and resolution of land-related cases, particularly those affecting developmental projects and essential public services, the Chief Secretary directed officials to expedite the disposal of such cases and remove procedural bottlenecks that hinder project implementation.
He also reviewed the progress of beneficiary-oriented schemes and directed the district administration to significantly ramp up disbursal numbers under Kisan Credit Cards, Mission Youth initiatives, livelihood schemes, and other citizen-centric programmes. He stressed on saturation and coverage of eligible beneficiaries, removing procedural delays that hinder effective outreach.
Regarding health sector, the Chief Secretary instructed officers to strengthen institutional deliveries, upgrade maternal and child health monitoring systems and address gaps in rural health infrastructure. He called for better coordination between the Health department, ICDS, and field-level officers to ensure timely service delivery and improved health outcomes across the district.
On the sidelines of the meeting, the Chief Secretary handed over sanction letters under Mission YUVA to selected beneficiaries, encouraging youth engagement, self-employment opportunities, and capacity-building initiatives. The gesture reflected government’s commitment to empowering the youth and fostering entrepreneurship in the district.