Stresses on field monitoring to accelerate projects
Kathua: Deputy Commissioner Kathua, Dr. Rakesh Minhas Saturday chaired a review meeting to assess the progress of development works being executed in the Education Sector by the Public Works Department (PWD) and Rural Engineering Wing (REW).
The meeting was held in the Video Conference Room of the DC Office Complex and was attended by Chief Planning Officer, Ranjit Thakur; Chief Education Officer, Mangat Ram Sharma; Engineers of PWD from Kathua, Basohli, Billawar and Hiranagar divisions; Zonal Education Officers (ZEOs) and other concerned officers.
While reviewing the works taken up under the Elementary Education component of the District CAPEX budget, it was informed that out of 30 sanctioned works, 13 are currently under execution at full pace, while 17 new works have been added for the current financial year. The Deputy Commissioner impressed upon the concerned ZEOs to conduct regular site visits for monitoring and to oversee the quality and pace of execution. He directed the executing agencies to obtain weekly progress updates from the field functionaries to maintain consistent momentum.
In regard to the works under the Secondary Education sector, it was informed that out of a total of 9 projects, 3 have been completed while 6 are under execution. Under the UT CAPEX budget, a total of 137 works have been sanctioned, out of which 42 have been completed, and 107 are being taken up during the current fiscal year.
During the review of SAMAGRA Shiksha works, it was informed that in the Kathua Sub-Division under PWD, a total of 66 works have been taken up, out of which 37 have been completed, while 19 new works have been tendered. In Hiranagar Sub-Division, out of 31 works, 8 have been completed and 17 are newly added.
In Basohli Sub-Division, a total of 117 works have been taken up under SAMAGRA, out of which 63 works have been completed. Similarly, in Billawar Sub-Division, 136 works are under execution, with 42 already completed and the remaining progressing at a steady pace.
The meeting also informed that a total of 63 education sector works are being executed by REW Kathua, which are presently at different stages of completion.
The Deputy Commissioner laid thrust on the timely completion of all projects, stating that education remains a key priority sector for the district. He underlined the importance of inter-departmental coordination in ensuring smooth and timely execution of works. He further directed that any land or revenue-related issues impacting school infrastructure projects should be communicated to the Revenue Department in real time to prevent delays.
The DC urged the Chief Education Officer and ZEOs to flag field-level issues directly with the DC Office for timely intervention and resolution of bottlenecks, ensuring that the progress of educational infrastructure remains uninterrupted.
