Don’t let development projects get stalled: Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha tells officers

Taking strong note of delays in the completion of some works, Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Sunday directed the officers concerned to ensure that the projects do not remain languishing unnecessarily.

“The people of J&K have set the bar of expectations from the government very high, so make sure that all the projects are completed within the stipulated time frame to fulfil their developmental aspirations,” Sinha said chairing a high-level meeting here.

In order to give fillip to pace of work on various mega projects, LG Sinha took a comprehensive review of the progress on important development projects of the Jammu division in the meeting.

The meeting was also attended by LG’s advisors K K Sharma and Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar and Chief Secretary B V R Subrahmanyam.

“Work with a motto of development and welfare of the people. Development projects are the backbone of a region’s holistic development,” Sinha said and called for adopting a viable strategy for providing best possible developmental infrastructure to the people of the Union Territory and collaborated efforts from every stakeholder to bring about a “massive developmental transformation” in the region.

The Lt Governor stressed the need for an inter-departmental coordination and asked the advisors and the chief secretary for regular monitoring of all the projects to achieve results on the ground.

He directed the officers to work in a close synergy to remove any bottlenecks coming in the way of progress of works, besides ensuring timely completion of all the projects with strict adherence to the quality norms.

He directed the officers to make judicious use of available resources and expediently clear all issues creating hurdles in the development.

The Lt Governor, while reviewing the restoration project of Mubarak Mandi Heritage Complex, directed that engineers be posted in the complex for technical supervision and designing.

Underscoring the need to strengthen medical infrastructure in the region, Sinha directed the officers for speedy execution of work on mega projects such as AIIMS and other medical colleges and hospitals in Jammu.

On multi-level parking at the bus stand, the Lt Governor was informed that the mega project, comprising 80 bus bays, 167 shops, 1,312 car spaces, 177 two-wheelers, commercial space 85,000 sq ft, is on its completion stage and will be ready by the end of October.

The development of townships in the Jammu division was discussed and it was briefed that total 11 locations have been identified for construction of affordable housing for the rising population of the division.

The townships are coming up under Jammu, Katra, Udhampur and Akhnoor Master Plans, an official spokesman said.

While reviewing the status of Jammu Development Authority housing projects at Nagrota and Muthi, the LG suggested that commercial complexes be included in housing projects to make them more lucrative.

He was informed about the proposed flatted development at Nagrota and Nagrota-I comprising 754 flats with a cost of Rs 297.06 crore and 180 flats with a cost of Rs 82.64 crore.

He was also briefed about the proposed Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) flats under Prime Minister’s Awas Yojna at Udheywala (192 flats), Muthi (192 flats), Majeen (384 flats) and Nagrota (240 flats).