Srinagar: The pace of execution of developmental works undertaken under the Prime Minister’s Development Package have been accelerated with the result that 29 projects funded under this package have been completed so far in Jammu and Kashmir.
As per the official document accessed by Greater Kashmir, out of 53 development projects funded under PMDP, 29 projects have already been completed/ substantially completed while twelve more projects will be completed during the current financial year. Another six projects are likely to be completed by the end of 2023. The pace of execution of these projects was slow prior to 2019.
From 2015 to 2020, as per officials, only 7 projects were completed out of 53, in the last two years over 22 projects have been fully/substantially completed.
According to a parliamentary committee report, the then Chief Secretary of J&K had informed the panel that as of December 2019, around 46 per cent of funds have been spent under the package while seven projects have already been completed.
Under PMDP 53 projects with a budgetary outlay of Rs 58,477 crore were sanctioned of which 18 projects are under the jurisdiction of the Government of India and 35 under the Government of J&K.
“25 projects completed/substantially completed (GoI- 7, GoJK- 18) 04 projects to be completed this financial year (GoI- 2, GoJK-2),” reads the official figure.
The PM’s package was announced on 7 November 2015 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The package was announced when Jammu and Kashmir was a state and following the bifurcation of J&K into two union territories of J&K and Ladakh, the package was divided.
Earlier PMDP had 63 projects with an outlay of Rs 80,068 crore.
However, post bifurcation, J&K got 53 projects with an outlay of 58,477 crore. Nine projects were transferred to Ladakh with an outlay of Rs 21,441 crore.
One project of relocation of 216 transit camps was dropped from PMDP as per the latest report on PMDP’s progress.
The PMDP, inter alia, aims at expanding the economic infrastructure; ensuring the basic services; giving thrust to employment and income generation; providing relief and rehabilitation to the victims of the September 2014 floods; and to strengthen the Disaster Management Framework of the erstwhile State.
The Reconstruction Plan also seeks to strengthen the economic and social infrastructure to ensure balanced development of the three regions of the erstwhile State of J&K. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), Government of India (GoI) is the nodal agency at the GoI level for monitoring implementation of PMDP projects in the erstwhile State of J&K. The individual projects are being implemented under the direct supervision of the concerned Ministry of the GoI.