Abdul Haq reviews functioning of Rural Development Department in Kulgam

15 culverts, 113 Km roads, 88 harvesting tanks, 42 irrigation wells constructed under MGNREGA in district

          KULGAM, MAY 27: Minister for Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Abdul Haq today chaired a meeting of officers convened to review the progress of works being executed under MGNREGA by Rural Development Department in Kulgam district.

          The Minister said that the under the leadership of Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, the government is committed to overall development of the state. In this vein, the significance of the Rural Development Department is pivotal and development in this area can do wonders, said the Minister.

          The meeting was informed that during the last fiscal, Kulgam district had an available budget of Rs 39.58 crore under Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), which has been fully utilised during which 8675 works were taken up, of which 8542 were completed  both physically and financially.

          To cater to the demands of jobs under MGNREGA, the RDD provided jobs to 57146 job card holders. The department generated 17.14 lakh man-days against the target of 12 lakh. As many as 1896 households completed the target of 100 days under MGNREGA during the last fiscal.   Water conservation and water harvesting, minor irrigation works, flood protection and rural connectivity are the focus areas of development, under the scheme, the meeting was informed.

          The meeting was informed that the Department has constructed 88 water harvesting tanks at a cost of Rs23.84 lakh, 4015 cubic metre micro irrigation works, 42 irrigation wells, renovation of 6 traditional water bodies and 152 Kms of drainage works during the period. Under Rural Connectivity Programme, the department has constructed 113 Kilometres of road length, 80 Kilometre lanes and 15 culverts in the district during the last financial year. The department has also completed footbridges at Rampora, Jiabal, Kund and DK Pora during the last year.

The meeting was further informed that to create infrastructure for grass root democratic participation, the department took up work on 46 Panchayats ghars of which work on 24 Panchayat ghars stands completed.

          The meeting was further told that on the directions of the Minister, the department has identified 7 villages including Arigatnoo, Asthall,  Laisoo-Gudder, GT Pora and Adpora where flood protection works have been taken at an estimated cost of Rs 3.5 crore, of which Rs 2.62 crore stands expended so far.

 Under Convergence programme, the Department has so far dovetailed with Education, Animal Husbandry, Fisheries and Youth Services & Sports Department completing a total of 266 works at a cost of Rs13.20 crore.

          Addressing the meeting, the Minister directed the concerned officers to ensure that all the ongoing developmental projects should be executed in a time-bound manner with specification so that the benefits of the projects reach to the common masses.

         Directing the ACD to personally monitor the work on rural connectivity, the Minister also directed for completion of grading of roads so that macadamization process could be taken up soon on these roads. He  instructed the officers to ensure proper monitoring and execution of various RDD schemes including IAY, MGNREGA, SGSY, IWDP at district levels. He stressed that tangible results should be visible on the ground.

                For maintaining transparency and providing information to the people about welfare schemes being executed by the Government in rural areas, Haq emphasized that the Monitoring Information System of the Department should be updated regularly.

 Reviewing the to-date status of ongoing anti-Polythene drive of RDD in district, the Minister called upon the concerned to work with missionary zeal to realize the results.

 DDC Kulgam, ACD, DPO, and other district officers of RDD attended the meeting.