Complete all infrastructure projects before December deadline: Chief Secretary

Jammu, Mar 13:  Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo Wednesday called for completing all infrastructure projects before the December deadline.

Reviewing the pace and progress of the World Bank-funded Jhelum and Tawi Flood Recovery Project (JTFRP) impressed upon the concerned to make a robust plan for around Rs 140 crore savings amount out of the total outlay for 213 sub-projects funded under it.

Besides the CEO, ERA the meeting was also attended by the Principal Secretary, Higher Education; Commissioner Secretary, I&C; Secretary, PWD; Secretary, Health; Secretary, School Education; MD, JKPCC; Commissioner, SMC besides other officers.

Srinagar-based officers participated in the meeting through video conferencing.

During this meeting, the Chief Secretary directed for consideration of some significant works for the upgradation of infrastructure in our education, health, disaster management and livelihood generation here so that these savings are spent on a positive developmental front in a time-bound manner.

He asked for identifying the critical works of the most emergent nature to be taken up shortly and completed before December this year. He enjoined the concerned authorities to assess the viability of such projects beforehand and take measures accordingly to ground them within the onset of the upcoming working season.

Dulloo also stressed holding consultations among different departments to ascertain their urgent needs regarding the augmentation of their capacities and mitigating disaster management in future.

He even asked about the issues faced in the completion of ongoing projects and the dates for their completion. He emphasised ensuring that all the ongoing and newly taken up works are completed before December this year, which is the deadline of this project as well.

In her presentation, CEO ERA Syed SehrishAsgar briefed the meeting about the accomplishments made so far under JTFRP. She gave out that 213 sub-projects under different components were taken up at an estimated cost of Rs1810 Cr.  She further informed that out of these 186 projects had been completed in J&K at an expenditure of Rs 1363 crore.

Sehrish further revealed that the major components include reconstruction and strengthening of Critical Infrastructure (40 projects), reconstruction of Roads and bridges (31 projects), Restoration of Urban Flood Management Infrastructure (13 projects), Restoration and Strengthening of Livelihoods (26 projects), Strengthening Disaster risk management capacity (22 projects) and Contingent Emergency Response (74 projects).

In addition, it was revealed that the project was pivotal in introducing rigid pavement in roads, preparation of a digital risk database, building a semi-arched trussed bridge, building schools with BALA (Building as a Learning Aid) feature, building the first state of the art Emergency Operation Centre and introduction of Green Hospital Building here in J&K besides augmenting and upgrading critical infrastructure and damaged infrastructure across the districts of J&K.