‘Prepare strategy for sustainable growth in tourism by Dec’
Technological solutions to check development challenges
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Oct 23: Government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir has directed all the Administrative Secretaries to promptly take action on the issues flagged by National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Aayog and submit compliance report to the office of the Chief Secretary.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that NITI Aayog has sent a number of communications to the Government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir seeking information on vital issues and highlighting matters which require prompt attention/action of the concerned departments.
“Such information is not only useful for the NITI Aayog but will also be of immense help for the Government of Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir in chalking out strategies through the respective departments”, sources said.
The issue of important communications received from the NITI Aayog was deliberated upon in a recent high-level meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, who after detailed discussion directed all the concerned Administrative Secretaries for prompt response/action on the communications received from the Vice-Chairman NITI Aayog.
The NITI Aayog, as per the sources, has laid stress on preparation of a road-map for horticulture development by November 2023 and improving early childhood development outcome. Moreover, it has emphasized upon formulating a strategy to reduce malnutrition and anemia.
“The Chief Secretary has directed Agriculture Production Department, Social Welfare Department and Health and Medical Education Department to act immediately on these issues and submit a comprehensive response to NITI Aayog with intimation to his office”, sources said while disclosing that NITI Aayog has also laid stress on designating effective schemes for transforming the health sector in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
As far as Industries and Commerce Department is concerned, the National Institution for Transforming India has asked for catalyzing the development of start-up eco-system in the Union Territory while as it wants the Housing and Urban Development Department of J&K to improve the quality and promote city bus services.
“NITI Aayog has further highlighted the necessity of development of a strategy for sustainable growth in the tourism sector by December this year”, sources informed, adding “the Social Welfare Department has been asked to conduct workshop for enabling women led development, co-creating a state level road-map, designing state nodal agency for women entrepreneurship platform by November 2023”.
Most importantly, the National Institution for Transforming India has asked J&K UT Government for identifying suitable technological solutions for addressing the development challenges due to extreme cold weather conditions in the parts of the Union Territory, sources further informed, adding “since developmental works suffer immensely due to extreme winters particularly in entire Kashmir valley and hilly areas of Jammu region, such a strategy will go a long way in ensuring smooth execution of projects/works”.
It is pertinent to mention here that NITI Aayog is supposed to evolve a shared vision for national development priorities, sectors and strategies with the active involvement of States and Union Territory and to design strategic and long-term policy and programme frameworks and initiatives and monitor their progress and their efficacy.
Meanwhile, Chief Secretary Dr Arun Kumar Mehta has directed all the Administrative Secretaries to ensure documentation of their achievements and undertake preparation of annual reports highlighting the achievements of their respective departments for each calendar year since 2021-21 onwards and for the current year (up to ending September).
Further, all the departments have been impressed upon to ensure that the communication channels with common masses are reinforced at all levels to ensure connect with the common masses, sources said.
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