Minister for Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Law and Justice Abdul Haq Khan today asked the officers of the Rural Development Department to expedite work on various projects to complete them by the end of this financial year to avoid lapse of funds.The Minister was addressing officers during a review meeting convened to discuss the status of implementation of centrally sponsored schemes in the state. The meeting was attended by Secretary Rural Development, Kifayat Hussain Rizvi, Director Rural Development, Kashmir, Gazanfar Ali, Director Rural Development Jammu RK Bhat, Director Finance, Additional Secretary RDD and other senior officers of the department.Stressing speedy completion of the under construction Panchayat Ghars and other developmental projects, the Minister said it would go a long way in augmenting infrastructural capacities of the department.Abdul Haq impressed upon the officers to speed up the pace of all ongoing works so that these can be completed well in time. He stressed he officers to utilize funds for the pending works and generate awareness about various State and centrally sponsored welfare schemes for the socio-economic upliftment of the people.
The Minister said the RDD works have potential to change the socio-economic landscape of the State and the concerned officers must work with utmost dedication and added zeal so that all RDD schemes yield desired results.The meeting was informed that 93 percent of the funds have been spent under MGNREGA in Kashmir while 88 percent of works have been completed in Jammu division.Minister was informed that in Kashmir division out of the total approved budget of Rs 290.52 crore under MGNREGA, Rs 279.89 crore have been spent so far. He was informed that about 12 lakh job cards have been issued so far to the unemployed youths of the state out of which there are 9.78 lakh active job cards.Officials further informed that 12409 households completed 100 days of wage employment while in all 4.59 lakh households were involved in MGNREGA works. Meeting was informed that the department has taken care of differently-abled persons of the society and 3535 differently-abled persons worked under MGNREGA this year. It was stated that 26.05 women were also benefited from the scheme.