The Department Related Standing Committee (DRSC-II) of Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council today reviewed the functioning of Rural Development Department (RDD) in the meeting held under the Chairmanship of MLC, Naresh Kumar Gupta here today.The meeting was attended by Secretary, RDD Sheetal Nanda; Additional Secretary RDD, Rakesh Kumar, Joint Director Planning, S. Shabir Sofi, committee members, ADCs, DPOs and other official of RDD.Secretary RDD briefed the Committee about the functioning of department and replied to the queries raised by the Members.In the meeting, the Committee had detailed discussion on the issues related to the budget allotment, with expenditure under different state and central schemes including MGNREGA, PMAY, Swach Bharat Mission and Integrated Watershed Management Programme(IWMP).The committee was informed that under Swach Bharat Mission program 80 percent target of Open Defecation Free(ODF) was achieved and 100 percent funds are utilized. Committee was also informed that 5 districts in Kashmir and Ladakh region are declared ODF.
Chairman, Naresh Kumar Gupta directed the concerned authorities to prepare a detailed power point presentation on the achievements relating to constructed sanitation toilet points in the next meeting with role of Block Development Officers and Block Level Workers on this account.To achieve the goal of Swatch Bharat Mission, the committee asked for valuable recommendation from the official present in the meeting to make it vibrant and result oriented.Similarly, financial and physical progress of integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) and Pradhan Mantri Awaaz Yojana were reviewed in the meeting.The other issues which were discussed prominently during the meeting included, major initiative taken under MGNREGA, liabilities created under MGNREGA, fund utilization, employment generation, wage disbursement and how much plantation under MGNREGA, has been made and norms adopted in this regard for making plantation and location.
Showing satisfaction on the achievements under MGNREGA, the committee directed the officials to follow proper procurement of material as per protocol and asked for details of material procurement presently and previously and fund utilization at block level in the next meeting.While reviewing the overall functioning of the Department, the Committee expressed satisfaction over the performance on various components and observed that the department must update all programmes and works should be carried out strictly as per the guideline and instructions of the Central and State Governments to achieve the objective of these schemes.Members of committee raised issue regarding ODF programme, taking a strong note of the issue the chairman directed the Secretary to look into the matter and said that schemes are formulated for the welfare of poor people and to ensure holistic development in the rural areas and their affective monitoring is must to achieve desired results as envisaged in the spirit of schemes.