New Delhi : The Ministry of Home Affairs has asked the Jammu and Kashmir government to complete the ongoing developmental projects as per deadline, sources in the Union Territory administration said.
Delay in completion of the project debars the benefits to the people and also escalates the cost of the projects, the sources said quoting the MHA directives. They also said that the Centre has asked the UT administration to set up a mechanism which will monitor the progress periodically and inform the Union Home Ministry.
The Centre’s move came just ahead of the indication that the Delimitation Commission on J&K is to submit its report on redrawing the Lok Sabha and Assembly constituencies in the Union Territory shortly which has led to the speculation of holding Assembly polls in J&K.
The sources in the government set up said that the Commission will submit its report before May 6 when its tenure comes to an end.
According to the Union Home Ministry’s data, a total of 1,41,815 new works, projects have been taken up under various sectors/schemes in the UT since 2019. Funds amounting to Rs 27,274 crore have been provided for the completion of these projects.
The MHA officials also said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced a Reconstruction Plan for J&K involving an outlay of Rs 80,068 crore in November 2015, also known as the ‘PM’s Development Package-2015.
Under this package, the progress of projects being implemented in J&K has accelerated wherein 53 projects pertaining to 15 Ministries are being implemented at a cost of Rs 58,477 crore in various sectors such as Roads, Power, Health, Education, Tourism, Agriculture and Skill Development. Out of these, 25 projects have been completed or getting completed substantially, the officials further said.
The Union Home Ministry also said that under the languishing projects programme, 1193 projects worth Rs 1984 crore were completed, including five projects which were incomplete for more than 20 years, 15 projects for more than 15 years and 165 projects for more than 10 years.
Once the Delimitation Commission submits its report, the Assembly polls could be held earliest in October this year, the officials said.
–IANS