J&K: Chief Secretary Assesses Funding and Progress of NABARD Projects

The meeting was attended by the Principal Secretary, Jal Shakti, the Principal Secretary, PWD, the DG Budget, the Director Finance, the CGM NABARD, the DGM NABARD, and representatives from the Animal Husbandry and Agriculture Departments, according to a statement issued by the Department of Information and Public Relations J-K on Sunday.

Dr. Mehta asked the departments on the occasion to ensure that the entire amount of Rs 1500 Cr is fully utilised by the end of this fiscal year to create long-term assets of public utility. He inquired about the utilisation certificates and work done claims that had been submitted thus far by the relevant departments.

The Chief Secretary directed them to develop plans to fill gaps within a week. He urged them to prioritise the projects that would be undertaken under this budgetary component in the absence of other sources of funding. He advocated for the strict identification of works based on demand so that maximum expenditure is fruitful.

Dr. Mehta emphasised the importance of making performance the sole criterion for evaluation. He also directed that better coordination be established between the indenting department, the intermediary (the Finance Department), and the funding agency in order to improve performance on the ground.

The Chief Secretary insisted that there are sufficient resources to meet genuine public demands. He directed the officers to develop a proper procedure for funding any new project based on the well-planned algorithm. He also advised them to look into meeting the demands made under NABARD's Aspirational Panchayat or Aspirational Towns programmes. He directed the Finance Department to look into other borrowing options, such as the RBI, for quick and timely funding.

It was announced that a normative allocation of Rs 1500 crore for the current fiscal year has been sanctioned for J&K to complete rural infrastructure projects. These include rural roads and bridges, water supply schemes, and agricultural and animal husbandry projects. The meeting was also informed that projects worth hundreds of crores had already been submitted to NABARD for approval.

The meeting also discussed ways to improve departments' ability to use entire sanctioned amounts efficiently. It was stated that once these projects were completed, the union territory would be set on the path of progress and development envisioned by the LG administration.