The District Development Board Jammu that met under the chairmanship of Deputy Chief Minister Dr. Nirmal Singh today gave nod to an annual CAPEX budget of Rs.200 crore for Jammu district. The meeting also reviewed the action taken report on the decisions of the last board meeting and took stock of physical and financial achievements registered in the District Plan during 2015-16. The meeting was attended by Minister for Health and Medical education Bali Bhagat, Minister for PHE Sham Choudhary, Minister of State for Tourism and Culture Priya Sethi, Vice Chairman State Advisory Board for development of Paharis, Kuldeep Raj, Vice Chairman State Advisory Board for development of Scheduled Castes, Bhushan Lal Dogra, Vice Chairman Kissan Development Board D.S.Chib Member Parliament Jugal Kishore Sharma, legislators Sukhnandan Kumar, Sat Pal Sharma, Devender Singh Rana, Dr. Gagan Bhagat, Rajesh Gupta, Kamal Arora, Rajeev Sharma, Dr. Krishan Lal, Dr. D.K Manyal, MLC’s, Ashok Khajuria, Noor Hussain, Charanjeet Singh Khalsa, Sham Lal Bhagat, Ramesh Arora, Surinder M. Ambardar, Vikramaditya Singh and Surinder Choudhary. While pushing for area specific planning and rationalization of developmental funds keeping in view the area population and topography of a particular region the Deputy Chief Minister said the proposal mooted by the Chief Minister for having separate development plans for the capital cities of Srinagar and Jammu will be a major step in this direction giving fillip to the developmental scenario of these two cities. He stressed that a comprehensive view of all vital parameters should be taken for ensuring optimal utilization of funds aiming at sustainable development. He also called for chalking out the developmental plans in consultation with the concerned legislators. Referring to the various steps taken by the Government for streamlining and strengthening of public distribution system in the State, Dr. Singh called for increased synergy between district administration and CAPD Department for reaching out to the people besides taking adequate steps to ensure that no genuine beneficiary is left out from the purview of the NFSA and benefits under the scheme reach last man in the queue. Underscoring the importance of 100% utilization of funds, the DyCM maintained that every single penny should be expended judiciously, adding that strict adherence to the fixed timelines for completion of the vital developmental projects should remain priority of the executing agencies while ensuring quality of works on ground. Dr Singh also directed the concerned officers to ensure that utilization certificates required under various schemes are submitted on time for timely release of funds and effective implementation of these schemes. While projecting the demands and issues of their respective constituencies, the legislators raised several issues pertaining to basic services like upgradation of power, education and health infrastructure, strengthening of of PHE distribution network, improved irrigation and marketing facilities for the farmers and strict adherence to fixed timelines for completion of vital developmental projects especially those related to tourism sector. Responding to the demands of various legislators regarding improvement in water and power supply Dy. CM directed the concerned officers of PHE and PDD Department to take immediate requisite measures to augment water and power supply in view of the summer season so that people of the region don’t face any inconvenience. He also directed for pressing into service more water tankers to supplement water supply especially in Kandi areas. While reviewing the action taken report of previous DDB decisions Dr. Nirmal Singh appreciated the achievements registered in the district in the last fiscal and exhorted upon the officers to ensure implementation of these decisions in letter and spirit. Earlier, District Development Commissioner Jammu Simrandeep Singh while apprising the board about physical and financial achievements registered during last fiscal said that against an availability of Rs. 189 crore an expenditure of Rs. 187 crore was made which works out be 98.02%. DDC informed the Board that 128 hectare potential was created and 32 hectare was stabilized as far as minor irrigation facilities are concerned. He further said that under PHE sector, 22 schemes were completed benefitting 28 habitations comprising population of 6426 souls while as 292 power transformers were repaired during the year. He said that administration has set up model laboratories and libraries with internet facilities in 8 model schools at HSS Mubarak Mandi (Jammu East), Rehari (Jammu West), Nagrota, Domana (Raipur Domana), Pallanwala (Khour), Akhnoor, Chakroi (Suchetgarh), Arnia (Bishnah) as part of Model School Initiative. Under convergence of various schemes with MGNREGA, he said that due to this initiative capacity of 11 nurseries of Horticulture Department was enhanced; three tube wells of Irrigation Department commissioned and provided protection to different assets of R&B Department, constructed 15 Panchayat Ghars, seven Anganwari Centres, 7 water bodies (ponds), boundary walls in 19 schools, play grounds in 6 schools and common facility centre. Also present in the meeting were Chief Secretary, B.R Sharma, Financial Commissioner Planning, B.B Vyas, Principal Secretary PDD, Dheeraj Gupta, Divisional Commissioner Jammu Dr. Pawan Kotwal, IGP Jammu Zone Danish Rana, Commissioner Secretary School Education, Shaleen Kabra, Commissioner Secretary R&B, Rohit Kansal, Commissioner Secretary H&UDD, Hirdesh Kumar, Secretary H&ME, Dr. M.K Bhandari, Secretary PHE, I&FC, Sanjeev Verma, HoD’s and officers of district administration were also present in the meeting.
