Connect all rural areas through road, Chief Secy tells officials

Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Monday chaired a meeting of Public Works Department (PWD) that was attended by engineers of the executing agencies to review progress on major ongoing road projects in Jammu and Kashmir.

While taking stock of the overall progress of these vital road links across the UT, the Chief Secretary emphasised enhancing the capacity of the engineers to enable them to meet deadlines efficiently.

He directed the senior functionaries to monitor the works themselves for timely completion. He maintained that these road projects are highly significant and need to be completed expeditiously while observing all quality parameters.

He emphasised early completion of survey and formulation of DPRs under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) -IV so that all unconnected habitations are provided all-weather road links under this programme without fail.

He advised the Secretary to regularly monitor this process and complete the requisite Comprehensive New Connectivity Priority List (CNCPL) in respect of each village so that due priority is given to those for early execution and completion.

In a presentation, Secretary, PWD, Bhupinder Kumar, apprised the meeting of the achievements made under PMGSY I, II and III. He informed that under PMGSY-I, a road length of 17,578 km was constructed, including 210 long-span bridges (LSBs). As many as seven LSBs stand completed under phase II. Over 1,248 km road, including an LSB, was constructed under phase III of this programme.

The meeting discussed the action plan for completion of remaining works of earlier phases of PMGSY. It also took note of the rolling out of PMGSY-IV and its scope of implementation in the UT. The list of unconnected habitations and their survey over the ‘Gram Sadak Survey app’ and the status of preparation of CNCPL for each proposed habitation at block/district level was debated threadbare in the meeting.

It was revealed that J&K being in the special category along with N-E states would be given assistance to the extent of 90 per cent by the Centre under PMGSY. It also has a relaxation in terms of population criteria as the habitations here need to have a population of 250 only instead of 500 for other states/UTs with legislatures.