NITI Aayog praises Baramulla district for good performance, gives additional Rs 3 crore

NITI Aayog has commended Baramulla district for its good performance in the ambitious ‘Aspirational Districts Programme’.

A communiqué by CEO NITI Aayog, Amitabh Kant addressed to Chief Secretary J&K, B V R Subhramanyam reads, “NITI Aayog provides additional allocation to districts securing ranks through the challenge method under the aspiration districts programme. It gives me immense pleasure to inform you that on the basis of performance in the month of August- September 2020, Baramulla district in your State had secured good rank in financial inclusion and skill development sector and has become entitled to receive additional allocation of Rs 3 crore.”

   

The communiqué further reads: “As per the scheme guidelines, districts are to prepare a plan of action and project proposal in consultation with the State and Central Prabhari officers and send the same to NITI Aayog for final approval of the Empowered Committee of Secretaries constituted for the Aspirational Districts Programme. NITI Aayog has constituted a Project Management Unit comprising a team of ADB and UNDP experts to assist the districts in formation of the projects.”

Deputy Commissioner Baramulla, Ghulam Nabi Itoo and his team have been applauded by the higher authorities for this performance.

In an official communication issued by NITI Aayog, the Chief Secretary of J&K has been asked to issue a Good Service Entry to the DC for the excellent performance of the district.

“Of the 112 districts, Baramulla district has figured at 8th position on the basis of performance in financial inclusion and skill development,” DC Baramulla G N Itoo said.

This is the second time when a district has received additional grants of Rs 3 crore from NITI Ayog.

“In 2019, we received additional grants of Rs 3 crore after we were ranked at top position in delta ranking conducted in March 2019,” Itoo said.

Under the NITI Ayog’s  Aspirational District Programme, the concerned district administration is supposed to utilise all the available resources out of the available district and State resources under the convergence programme for the overall development of the district.

The critical indicators which are supposed to be kept in focus for development under aspirational programmes include education, health, development of road infrastructure, nutritional status, financial inclusion and skill development.

“This year our performance didn’t remain good due to COVID19 pandemic but from August and September our performance in skill development and financial inclusion was good,” Itoo said. “We catered to 98,000 individuals for granting KCC loan and around 1.15 lakh individuals completed their registration for it.”

The Aspirational Districts Programme, launched in January 2018, aims to quickly and effectively transform some of the most under-developed districts of the country.

It envisages rapid development of selected districts on the basis of composite index based on five parameters – health and nutrition, education, financial inclusion, skill development, agriculture and water resources and basic infrastructure.

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