CS reviews progress of District Capex

*Urges DDCs to rigorously implement 10 point campaign
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 27: The Chief Secretary, Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta today chaired a meeting to review the progress of District Capex in Jammu and Kashmir.
Administrative Secretaries of Finance, Health, RDD, Housing &UD, PWD, YSS, School Education, SWD and all the DDCs participated in the meeting.
Giving details of 10 point campaign recently launched in UT, DDCs informed that all the 10 campaigns are being implemented in real earnest.
DDCs informed that youth clubs and PRIs are being involved in the implementation of Aapki Zameen Aap Ki Nigrani. Various camps have been held in districts, blocks, sub-divisions and tehsils to create awareness about the Scheme amongst the people.
The Chief Secretary advised the DDCs to run campaigns to create awareness about the scheme so that target of facilitating access of land records to 10 lakh people is achieved.
Stating that around 2 lakh people have already accessed the portal to see their land records, Dr Mehta advised the DDCs to put in place a system of rectification of land records in case people file complaints regarding discrepancy in their land records.
While informing that Janta Ki scheme Janta Ki Baghdari campaign has not found much traction as yet, all DDCs stated that a series of campaigns are being launched at district, block, tehsil and block levels to create more awareness about the scheme.
The Chief Secretary advised the DDCs to educate people about the purpose of the campaign, especially the way they can not only know about the works being carried out in their areas, but also monitor them.
Giving details of the implementation of Berozgar- se- Swarozgar campaign, DDCs informed that 5 youth per Panchayat and 10 youth per Panchayat in border villages have been identified.
The Chief Secretary advised the DDCs to redouble their efforts so that the unemployment rate in the UT is reduced to 5 %. Dr Mehta advised the DDCs against limiting themselves to 5 youth per panchayat target and instead urged them to make out all efforts to create self employment opportunities for all the unemployed youth in their districts.
The Chief Secretary advised the DDCs to gear up their machinery to visit each household and ensure that no one remains without vaccination.
Dr Mehta asked the Health Department to prepare the necessary protocols including designing a format and circulate the same to the DDCs so that the implementation of campaign is properly monitored.
The Chief Secretary advised the DDCs to ensure community participation in Swacchta campaigns as waste management is a cultural issue, which requires attitudinal change for better outcomes and community involvement.
Dr Mehta advised DDCs to educate the people about the institutional changes brought about in the selection processes in UT which will ensure that all future recruitments will now be made on merit and in the most transparent manner.
While reviewing the capex budget, Additional Chief Secretary, Finance informed that expenditure incurred by all the districts under the UT component is low.
He stated that since under existing norms, only 30 % expenditure can be made in the last three months of the fiscal year, including only 15 % in the last month, DDCs will have to speed up works while ensuring that they conform to financial norms.
While expressing concern at low level of expenditures, the Chief Secretary asked the DDCs to speed up execution of works and make milestone based payments as per terms of contracts where appropriate so that works are speeded up
Dr Mehta advised the DDCs to ensure that allotment of contract in respect of tendered works is atleast 90 % by 15th December, 2021.
Taking note of poor expenditure levels in various schemes under district Capex, the Chief Secretary advised Finance Department to review the implementation of schemes in district capex individually with DDCs.