Show no laxity in completion of projects : CM

In her first major review meeting after assuming charge, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today hinted at reorienting the Planning and Development Department so that it was able to professionally handle the preparation of quality DPRs (detailed project reports), the absence of which she said was the real bane of project delays.
She vouched for a mechanism where ‘empanelled consultants’ removed technical bottlenecks and fast-tracked the DPR preparation, enabling the executing agencies to deliver the projects on time.
“If funds crunch was the problem in the past, nowadays it is the struggle over efficiently executing development projects and achieving desired results that holds us back,” she said.
The Chief Minister made the observations at a high-level meeting called to assess the progress achieved on the commitments made by late CM Mufti Mohammad Sayeed on several development projects.
Mehbooba, who also holds charge of the Planning and Development Department, reviewed the functioning of the Roads and Buildings, Public Health Engineering, Irrigation and Flood Control, Power Development Department, Tourism, Health and Education Departments.
The meeting began with the Chief Minister asking the officers to show no laxity in completion of projects where time impacts were inevitable because of the uniqueness of each project. She said the real efficiency lay in delivering public infrastructure within the stipulated timeline.
In the Roads and Buildings sector, Secretary Rohit Kansal briefed Mehbooba about the present status of 12 major commitments of the Chief Minister which include construction of the Lakhanpur-Thein road up to Ranjit Sagar Dam, emergency repairs of the Batote-Kishtwar road, Circular Roads in Pulwama and Anantnag districts, maintenance of Mughal Road, blacktopping of roads in cities and towns, construction of the Pulwama-Lassipora road and completion of work on the Pantha Chowk-Zewan crossing.
The Chief Minister stressed completion of all ongoing projects within the set timelines. While reviewing the works in the Power Development Department, the Chief Minister issued directions for ensuring regular electricity supply in the winter capital during the summer.
The Chief Minister took a detailed review on the forward movement achieved on the cross-LoC trade and travel at two crossing points of Salamabad in Baramulla and Chakan da Bagh in Poonch, which she said were described by late Mufti Saheb as the ‘show window’ for travellers from across the Line of Control.
On being asked about the new features in the recently announced State Industrial Policy, the CM was told that issues related to change of Constitution, maintenance of industrial estates, e-trade in famed handicraft products, self-attestation and delegation of financial powers to subordinate officers had been taken care of in a pragmatic way.
The CM enquired about the present status of the prestigious Jammu Ropeway Project. Principal Secretary, Tourism, Sandeep Nayak informed her that on the instructions of late Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, the hybrid system had been ordered to be replaced by an imported system which matched the international benchmarks. Fresh tenders have been floated and the work on the project would commence thereafter, he added.
On laying of new ropeways at tourist and pilgrim destinations like Mantalai and Shiv Khori, the Chief Minister was informed that these were under the active consideration of the department and subject to clearance from the Forest Advisory Board.
While reviewing the performance of the education sector, the Chief Minister issued instructions for removing impediments in making the IIT-Jammu functional as early as possible. She was informed that land for the permanent IIT campus has been identified at Jagti and Rs 1.58 crore had been released to make the transit campus functional.
Similarly, for the IIM-Jammu, three sites have been proposed and a final decision will be taken by the Site Selection Committee of the Ministry of Human Resource Development.