Nasir Azam
Srinagar, Sep 8: The administration of J&K Union Territory has told departments to speed up progress of the projects being executed under the Prime Minister’s Development Programme (PMDP) in the Union Territory, saying that it was not possible to get more extensions for their completion.
In a significant move, the administration has directed departments to expedite physical/ financial progress of the PMDP projects under execution in J&K, reads documents.
Citing closure of the PMDP project executed by the Horticulture department after getting two extensions, Principal Secretary Finance, Santosh D. Vaidya, has directed departments to expedite physical/ financial progress of these projects so that they are completed in time. “The chair while taking cognizance of the matter reiterated that since more and more extensions from GoI is not possible, therefore, all the departments may expedite the physical/ financial progress in respect of PMDP projects so that the schemes are completed in time and are not foreclosed as has happened in case of Horticulture Department which ultimately deprives the UT of additional resources which are presently available under PMDP,” reads record note of a meeting held by Finance department on August 25, 2023 to review progress of the projects.
On November 7, 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a reconstruction plan for J&K involving an outlay of Rs. 80,068 crore.
However, after reorganization of J&K, the J&K UT was left with 53 projects with an outlay of Rs 58,477 crore. Nine projects with an outlay of Rs 21,441 crore were transferred to UT of Ladakh.
Out of 53 projects, 18 were directly implemented by concerned ministries of Government of India and 35 by UT of J&K.
Of the 35 UT projects, 13 have been completed and nine are substantially completed.
