*Roadmap, timelines for Census 2027 finalised
JAMMU, Jan 20: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo today chaired the Union Territory Level Standing Committee (UTLSC) meeting on the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) to review the progress and future roadmap of PMGSY-IV, a flagship rural infrastructure programme aimed at providing all-weather road connectivity to newly eligible rural habitations across J&K.
The meeting was attended by Additional Chief Secretary, Public Works (R&B) Department; Director, National Rural Infrastructure Development Agency (NRIDA); Principal Secretary, Finance; Secretary, Rural Development Department; Engineer-in-Chief (Works); Chief Engineers, PMGSY Jammu/Kashmir, besides other concerned senior officers.
During the meeting, the ACS, Public Works Department made a detailed presentation on the implementation status of PMGSY-IV, outlining its objectives, eligibility criteria, funding pattern and district-wise proposals for the year 2025-26. The presentation highlighted the significant progress achieved in strengthening rural road infrastructure under the scheme.
The main highlight of the meeting is that the UTLSC accorded its approval to PMGSY-IV Batch-II proposals to be forwarded to the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) for sanction and funding. This batch comprises 1,487 new road works proposed across various districts of Jammu and Kashmir, covering a cumulative road length of 7,276.676 kilometres at an estimated cost of Rs 16,256.82 crore.
These projects are aimed at providing new road connectivity to 1,626 unconnected rural habitations across the Union Territory. As per scheme guidelines, the proposals also incorporate a projected maintenance cost of Rs 1,300.55 crore and a renewal cost of ?1,950.82 crore, ensuring sustainability of the created assets.
It was informed that border districts including Rajouri, Poonch, Kathua, Doda, Baramulla and Kupwara feature prominently in terms of road length and number of habitations proposed, reflecting a focused thrust on difficult, border and hilly regions.
Reviewing the status of PMGSY-IV Batch-I (2025-26) works, the Committee was apprised that 316 road works have already been sanctioned across Jammu and Kashmir, of which 221 roads pertain to Jammu Division and 95 roads to Kashmir Division. Out of these, 313 works have been tendered, while 292 roads have reached the stage of issuance of Letter of Acceptance (LoA), Notice to Proceed (NTP) or agreement execution.
For prioritisation of works, a Comprehensive New Connectivity Priority List (CNCPL) has been prepared at Block and District levels, factoring in population size, aspirational district status, Scheduled Tribe concentration, convergence with other Central Government schemes and PMGSY-IV eligibility norms.
The Chief Secretary emphasised the need for time-bound execution, rigorous monitoring and early resolution of legal and procedural bottlenecks. He directed the concerned departments to ensure quality construction, timely commencement of sanctioned works and strict adherence to maintenance commitments, so that the intended benefits of improved rural connectivity reach the people without delay.
The construction of these roads is expected to significantly enhance access to education, healthcare, markets and growth centres, thereby accelerating socio-economic development in rural and remote areas of Jammu and Kashmir.
Meanwhile, in significant step towards preparations for Census 2027, a Union Territory Level Census Coordination Committee meeting was held today under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo here.
The meeting was attended by the Additional Chief Secretary, Planning, Administrative Secretaries, Divisional Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners of all districts, senior officers of the UT Administration and officers of the Directorate of Census Operations.
The Chief Secretary underscored the need for close coordination between the UT Administration and the Census Directorate and directed all Deputy Commissioners to extend full support to ensure smooth, accurate and timely conduct of Census operations. He assured full cooperation of the UT Government for the successful conduct of Census 2027.
A key decision taken during the meeting pertained to the Census schedule. It was decided that House Listing Operations (HLO) will be conducted across the Union Territory from June 1 to June 30, 2026, with self-enumeration commencing 15 days prior to HLO. The UT Government will issue the requisite notification by January 31, 2026. To facilitate smooth self-enumeration, services of Technical Assistants and Charge Officials will be utilised to guide the general public during the 15-day self-enumeration period.
During the meeting, the Director Census Operations, J&K and Ladakh, Amit Sharma made a comprehensive presentation outlining the framework and key features of Census 2027, which will be India’s first fully digital Census.
Emphasising the importance of robust field-level execution, the meeting approved expeditious hiring of manpower for Census 2027 at the UT, district and charge levels. Deputy Commissioners were directed to constitute District Level Census Cells and nominate suitable officers for coordination, training and supervision. Instructions were also issued for timely identification of master trainers, supervisors and enumerators.
The meeting also deliberated on strengthening public awareness and outreach. In this regard, the Director Census Operations proposed seeking support from Jammu & Kashmir Bank for publicity and awareness campaigns through pamphlets, posters, hoardings and other communication platforms to encourage citizen participation.
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