JAMMU, Feb 13: Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary called on officials today to accelerate the implementation of various initiatives aimed at enhancing Jammu district’s basic infrastructure. His goal is to transform the area into one of India’s most advanced cities, equipped with essential and modern amenities.
Choudhary made these remarks during a review meeting focused on Jammu district, attended by Satish Sharma, the Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs.
He urged the officers to engage elected representatives in the planning, monitoring, and implementation of schemes, emphasizing the importance of grassroots participation in governance. “It is crucial for officers to address the issues raised by elected officials promptly, as this underpins our democratic framework. We must uphold the integrity of our institutions,” he stated.
Addressing the requests put forth by legislators, the Deputy Chief Minister instructed that existing projects be expedited to meet their deadlines. He emphasized that elected representatives should be consulted to eliminate any obstacles and ensure that developmental efforts align with local needs.
The Deputy Chief Minister also stressed the importance of collaboration between public representatives and execution agencies, asserting that this would facilitate quicker implementation and create more inclusive initiatives.
Acknowledging Jammu’s historical significance, he asserted that a collective effort is essential to position the region as a preferred destination in the country. “We must unify our efforts to advance the government’s developmental agenda, making Jammu one of the most developed and desirable regions,” he affirmed.
Earlier in the meeting, the District Development Commissioner of Jammu provided a brief overview of several developmental projects across various sectors.
The officials noted that Jammu district has an approved budget of Rs 127.76 crore under CAPEX, with 3,891 projects initiated, of which 2,261 have been completed under the UT component. Under the district CAPEX budget, 3,646 projects were undertaken, and 2,046 of these are completed.
Additionally, the labor budget for MGNREGA amounts to Rs 32.22 crore, with a significant expenditure of 99.44 percent—Rs 32.04 crore. A total of 86,000 job cards have been issued, resulting in 14,737 initiated projects, of which 3,931 are completed.
In the PMAY-G sector, a completion rate of 99.59 percent was reported, with expenditures totaling Rs 12.04 crore out of an available Rs 12.09 crore.
Under IWMP, 60 projects were approved, 55 initiated, and 30 completed. For the Swachh Bharat Mission, work has commenced on 48 sanitary complexes, 18 of which are finished, along with the initiation of 222 community compost pits—74 have been completed. Additionally, 14,927 individual household latrines (IHHLs) have been constructed from an approved total of 17,179 units, and 1,805 AIP IHHLs have been completed out of a target of 1,900, achieving a completion rate of 95 percent.
Under the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM), 283 water supply schemes were initiated, with 78 completed and 177 nearing completion. Furthermore, tap water connections have been provided to 121,781 households, achieving 70 percent of the 173,857 target.
For the PMGSY, a total road length of 828.89 km has been completed from a sanctioned length of 868.51 km, ensuring connectivity for all 98 sanctioned habitations.
The DDC Chairperson, Vice Chairperson, and various legislators raised multiple constituency-related issues requiring immediate attention. They called for the further development of existing projects and the initiation of new ones in sectors such as PHE, R&B, PDD, Health, and RDD.
Present at the meeting were Chairman District Development Council Bharat Bhushan, Vice Chairman District Development Council Suraj Singh, legislators from Jammu district, and other district officials, including the District Development Commissioner Sachin Kumar Vaishya, who attended both in person and virtually.
