SRINAGAR, October 24: Secretary, Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (RDD&PR), Ramesh Kumar, on Saturday directed officers to expedite rural development works, ensure financial accountability and resolve pending liabilities, recoveries and administrative bottlenecks across Kashmir.
Chairing a review meeting at Panchayat Bhawan, Humhama, Budgam, Kumar assessed the progress of major schemes, including VB-GRAM-G, Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana–Gramin (PMAY-G), Swachh Bharat Mission–Grameen (SBM-G) and Rashtriya Gram Swaraj Abhiyan (RGSA). The review also covered UT CAPEX works, Panchayat infrastructure, Viksit Village projects, development planning and pending court cases.
Reviewing VB-GRAM-G, the Secretary called for timely payment of wages and material costs, stronger field-level monitoring and regular inspections. He directed officers to complete unfinished works and initiate recovery proceedings wherever irregularities, excess payments or other recoverable amounts had been identified, in accordance with rules.
He also stressed the need for comprehensive Gram Panchayat Development Plans (GPDPs), proper approvals and accurate uploading of plans on official portals. Deficiencies flagged by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj were to be examined and discrepancies between approved plans and online records rectified promptly.
On PMAY-G, Kumar called for completion of pending houses, faster verification and approvals, and action in cases of delayed construction. Recoveries should be pursued wherever warranted under the prescribed guidelines.
Reviewing Panchayat infrastructure, the meeting was informed that 39 of 46 approved works relating to District Development Council (DDC) offices, Block Development Council (BDC) offices and residential accommodation for Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) functionaries had been taken up, while seven remained uninitiated. The approved works comprise 10 DDC office buildings, 26 BDC office buildings and 10 PRI residential accommodation projects.
Kumar directed officers to address construction and finishing delays, pending electrification and other technical or administrative issues, while ensuring proper accounting of funds and expenditure. District officers were also asked to review the status of Panchayat Ghars and other projects, identify bottlenecks and ensure judicious utilisation of funds.
Expressing concern over delays caused by land disputes and administrative issues, he called for coordination with Deputy Commissioners, Additional Deputy Commissioners and other concerned authorities to facilitate stalled projects. He also directed officers to pursue pending court cases and file replies and objections within prescribed timelines.
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