CS reviews distt capex, asks DDCs to ramp up developmental works

Jammu: The Chief Secretary, Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta Thursday said that the foundations of development with accountability and transparency through increased digitisation has been laid in J&K on enduring basis and urged the officers to expedite developmental works and focus on people connect to further improve the delivery of service.
He said the welfare of the people is at the front and centre of the developmental policies of the government and all interventions are informed by the need to address their needs and aspirations.
Dr Mehta made thiscommentswhile addressing a district capex review meeting with the DDCs, which was also attended by the secretaries in the government.
He lauded the efforts of the DDCs in ensuring that the snowfall on 22nd February did not cause any significant disruption to the essential services.
The Chief Secretary said they should, however, not rest on their laurels as the good work done by them has led to more expectations from them especially, as there is still lot of work to be done in making J&K litter free, garbage free and debris free.
He informed that government will launch UT dashboard and ‘your mobile our office’ app shortly and steps are afoot on multiple fronts to usher in mobile governance in J&K within three months.
Earlier, Director Expenditure Div I, Pk Bhat made a made a brief presentation on the financial and physical achievements under district capex made by the various districts in J&K.
Bhat informed that the expenditure performance of all the districts has improved since the last review and 16500 works have been completed till date.
Finance Secretary, Atal Dullo said that DDCs have been regularly asked to improve the pace of execution of works so that annual physical achievement targets are met.
The Chief Secretary asked the DDCs to ensure that the set financial and physical targets for the current year are fully met and advised against allowing works costing up to Rs 20 lakhs to spill over to the ensuing year.
Saying that every person in the districts should be given a golden card, Dr Mehta asked DDCs to ensure that there is cleanliness in all government hospitals and that all the toilets are nice and clean and fully functional.
He urged DDCs to personally visit the schools in their districts to see the arrangements made by the school managements as they have reopened after a long hiatus.
Raising concern on the rising anaemia cases amongst women and children J&K, the Chief Secretary said that a concerned campaign needs to be immediately launched to educate people about the menace besides taking measures in collaboration with health department to supplement nutrition of the anaemic persons.
He asked the Health Secretary and Social Welfare Secretary to coordinate the campaigns against anaemia with the DDCs.
Dr Mehta asked DDCs to ensure saturation of all farmers with soil health cards by 15th March, 2022 and directed that revenue department to immediately assign the responsibility of distribution of land pass books to the patwaris so that they could be distributed to one and all by 15th of August.
He expressed concern on plastic waste menace in J&K and asked the DDCs to mount plastic cleanliness and litter/debris/garbage free drives in their districts in close concert with the urban development department immediately.
Terming people connect as an important aspect of the public service, the Chief Secretary asked the DDCs to hold block divas regularly on identified days as the covid pandemic has abated and the life in J&K has considerably normalised.