Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 12: Minister for Planning, Labour and Employment, Ajay Kumar Sadhotra, today asked the development agencies to speed up pace of work on various ongoing projects and ensure achievement of physical and financial targets set for this fiscal in full.
Taking an exhaustive review of the plan implementation and execution of Centrally sponsored schemes at a high level meeting of the Administrative Secretaries of various departments here, Sadhotra said that the Coalition Government attaches high priority to time bound completion of schemes so that their benefit reach the people timely.
While reviewing the achievements registered in the special programmes like Prime Minister Reconstruction Plan and Special Task Force Projects, the Minister said these ambitious dispensations were extended to the State in view of colossal damages caused due to disturbances over the years.
“The situation calls for redoubling of efforts to realize the objectives of these programmes so as to ensure faster and equitable development of the three regions and their remote and backward areas”, Sadhotra said, urging the Administrative Secretaries to enhance follow up and monitoring mechanism to ensure completion of works in stipulated time frame.
Prime Minister’s economic package of Rs 24,000 crore to the State, approved in 2004, was subsequently enhanced to Rs 32,711.31 crore keeping in view urgent developmental requirements.
The meeting took detailed review of each sector and the Minister stressed the need for supervision of developmental schemes and called for maintenance of quality standards at all costs.
Among others, the meeting was attended by the Administrative Secretaries of Higher Education, Civil Aviation, Home, Power, Tourism, Industries, Technical Education, Agriculture Production, PHE/I&FC, PWD (R&B), Housing & Urban Development, Revenue, Forest, Rural Development, Health & Medical Education, Social Welfare Departments.
The meeting also reviewed status of various works taken up by the Economic Reconstruction Agency for upgrading civic and other facilities in the cities of Jammu and Srinagar.