CS reviews implementation of JJM in J&K

Srinagar : Chief Secretary, Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, on Friday chaired a meeting at Civil Secretariat here to review the implementation of JalJeevan Mission (JJM) project in Jammu and Kashmir with special focus on tendering of works and procurements of materials.

Principal Secretary Jal Shakti, Mission Director, JJM, Chief Engineers (PHE) of Jammu and Kashmir besides other senior officers participated in the meeting.

Chief Secretary enquired about the progress on execution of works and finalization of contracts under JalJeevan Mission. He reviewed and discussed the status of tendering, evaluation of bids and allotment of civil works besides assessing progress achieved in respect of procurement of pipes under JJM.

While reviewing the implementation of JJM, Chief Secretary directed the concerned officials to expedite the tendering and evaluation processes after Administrative Approval and Technical Sanction is granted by the competent authorities, besides ensuring allotment of works by the fixed deadlines. He also impressed upon the officers to maintain highest level of transparency and accountability in implementation process and meet the timelines targeted for completion of various tasks.

Emphasising that regular inspections should be carried out for effective implementation of JJM, CS directed the Principal Secretary and MD JJM to personally tour the districts for having first-hand appraisal of the ongoing works.

Both the Chief Engineers were directed to chanellise the available human resource for accomplishment of the tasks within the stipulated time frame. He said that coordinated and synergised efforts should be put in to carry forward the JJM in a mission mode.

It was informed that a total of 10.63 lac out of 18.35 lac rural households have been connected with piped tap water connections. In order to ensure provision of Functional Household Tap Connections (FHTCs) to each household J&K Government has planned creation of 3100 new or augmentation of already present water supply schemes under JalJeevan Mission.

It was informed that all these works have been tendered out and more than 1100 works have been allotted to the contractors for their timely completion.

It was further given out in the meeting that the works include creation of drinking water infrastructure of about Rs 10000 crores. This consists of about 1300 Tube-wells/Dug-wells, 540 Over Head Tanks, 470 Sand Filtration Plants, and 4300 works of laying pipe networks for taking water to the households without a functional tap water connection.