*Listens issues raised by GCC
Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Oct 30: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, today chaired a comprehensive review meeting of the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj (RD&PR) Department to assess the progress of key flagship schemes like Pradhan Mantri Awaas Yojana-Gramin (PMAY-G), Swachh Bharat Mission-Gramin (SBM-G), and the placement-linked skill training programme Himayat (DDU-GKY).
The meeting was attended by Secretary, Rural Development Department, Aijaz Asad; Director General, Rural Sanitation, Anoo Malhotra; and Managing Director, Himayat, Rajneesh Gupta, among other senior officers of the department.
At the outset, the Chief Secretary directed the department to adopt a mission-mode approach to ensure timely completion of all pending PMAY-G houses and to expedite the sanctioning and rollout of new placement plans under Himayat. He emphasized continuous monitoring, data-based progress tracking, and adherence to set timelines to maximize the impact of rural development interventions.
The Secretary, RDD, Aijaz Asad informed the meeting that Jammu and Kashmir has achieved 95% completion under PMAY-G. Out of a total sanctioned target of 3,34,718 houses, 3,18,542 have been completed, while 16,176 are under various stages of construction.
Of these pending houses, 6,933 are currently in progress, 1,240 at plinth level and 5,693 at lintel/roof cast level and are targeted for completion by December 31, 2025. An expenditure of Rs35.08 Cr has been earmarked for their completion.
Under the upcoming PMAY-G 2.0 phase, it was added that 5,02,101 household surveys have been conducted to identify new beneficiaries. Additionally, the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India, has approved 5,061 houses under a special project for families affected by natural calamities. Registration for this special project is scheduled to conclude by October 31, 2025.
DG, Rural Sanitation, Anoo Malhotra, apprised that out of 6,216 villages, 6,115 have already been declared as ODF+ Model – achieving 98.38% saturation. The remaining 69 villages are expected to attain ODF+ Model status by mid-November 2025.
Verification is also advancing steadily, with 5,409 villages having successfully completed the first round of verification. Verification of all ODF+ Model villages is planned to be completed by December 2025.
Concluding the review, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo directed all departmental heads to maintain strict timelines, ensure real-time monitoring, and adopt accountability-driven implementation mechanisms to accelerate progress across all flagship programmes.
He underscored that the primary goal of these initiatives is to deliver tangible benefits to rural citizens and strengthen grassroots governance through efficient, transparent, and people-centric development interventions.
Meanwhile, Chief Secretary held an interactive meeting with the Group of Concerned Citizens (GCC), a collective of eminent retired civil servants from Jammu and Kashmir led by former Advisor to the Governor, Khurshid Ahmad Ganai.
During the deliberations, the Chief Secretary patiently heard the concerns and suggestions put forth by the group regarding critical developmental, environmental, and civic issues in the Union Territory.
He appreciated the GCC members for their constructive engagement and assured that several of their suggestions are already under active consideration or implementation at various levels.
The Chief Secretary directed the concerned officers to take note of the valuable inputs offered by the retired officers, recognizing their deep institutional knowledge and field experience. He emphasized that such consultations help strengthen governance by aligning departmental initiatives with ground realities and public expectations.
The Group highlighted several priority areas requiring focused attention, particularly the scientific management of solid waste across Jammu and Srinagar cities. They underlined the need for a comprehensive waste treatment strategy, including the quantification and scientific disposal of legacy waste accumulated over the years.
The members also urged the administration to expedite flood mitigation measures for Srinagar, including the enhancement of the Flood Spill Channel’s carrying capacity and the dredging of Wular Lake to increase its water-holding potential. They described these steps as essential for protecting lives and properties in flood-prone areas.
Further, the GCC stressed the importance of preserving and rejuvenating the region’s water bodies including lakes, wetlands, and springs calling them natural assets that define Kashmir’s ecology, heritage, and scenic identity.
In the sphere of urban mobility, the group advocated for engineering-based traffic management rather than a purely enforcement-driven approach. They suggested that identified bottlenecks be systematically removed through better road design and planning interventions as suggested by the group.
Among the GCC members who attended the meeting were Naseema Lankar, Lateef-uz-Zaman Deva, Kifayat Hussain Rizvi, S. Madni, G.J. Nehvi, A.R. Khan, Khaliq-uz-Zaman Bhat, Abdul Majeed Bhat, Iftikhar Hakeem and Iftikhar Drabu.
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