*Planning Secy to shortly obtain lists of works from DDCs
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Aug 12: Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has devised a mechanism, which will ensure timely completion of developmental projects as well as help in measuring the performance of the District Development Commissioners and Heads of the Departments. In order to give practical shape to this mechanism, the Planning Secretary would shortly convene meeting(s) with all the DDCs and pass on necessary directions to them.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that keeping in view delays in completion of developmental projects and subsequent embarrassment for the Government particularly before the Union Government and criticism from different quarters, Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has devised a multi-pronged strategy which will deal with all the aspects relating to timely execution of works and making all the concerned officers accountable.
“It has come to the notice of the Chief Minister that huge number of developmental works are facing delays mainly because of lack of monitoring from all those who are supposed to minutely analyze the progress after regular intervals”, sources said, adding “Mufti Mohammad Sayeed has also noted with concern that even after remaining insensitive towards hanging fate of the developmental works, the concerned officers have never been scolded for creating embarrassment for the State”.
Quoting an example of insensitivity of the concerned authorities towards timely execution of developmental works, sources said, “the Chief Minister has come to know that out of 65 PMGSY roads in Chenab Valley, the work on which was started some years back, only one has been completed in all respects while fate of others is hanging in balance”.
Moreover, Chief Minister’s Secretariat has received inputs from different quarters about project executing agencies giving one after another deadlines for completion of works but the same was not being viewed seriously by the concerned officers as a result of which huge number of projects have remained incomplete despite lapse of considerable period of time.
Keeping all these aspects in mind, the Chief Minister has directed the Principal Secretary Planning, B R Sharma to get prepared a list of developmental projects that can be completed before the end of this year, sources disclosed, adding in order to give practical shape to the mechanism evolved by the Chief Minister, the Planning Secretary would shortly convene meeting(s) with all the District Development Commissioners and Head of Departments to pass on necessary directions as well as seeking district-wise list of developmental projects/ schemes that can be completed before the end of the current year.
In response to a question, sources said that all the projects/schemes either in the State Sector or the District Sector would become part of these lists. Even the works going on under various Centrally Sponsored Schemes would be reflected along with the dates of their completion during the current year. “The District Development Commissioners would furnish the lists along with the dates of completion of work after consulting the officers of the concerned departments and the project executing agencies”, sources added.
Stating that following submission of lists and dates of completion it would be binding on the District Development Commissioners to ensure that the project executing agencies stick to the timeline, sources said, “in this way not only the performance of the DDCs and HoDs but also of the project executing agencies would get measured after the end of year”, adding “in case the works reflected in the lists don’t meet the deadline, the DDCs, HoDs and project executing agencies would have to explain the plausible reason”.
“In this way, the new mechanism of the Chief Minister would make each and every officer accountable as well as ensure timely completion of the developmental works”, sources said, adding “this was the much needed strategy as delay in completion of projects is creating embarrassment for the Government and denying benefits to the intended population”.
Moreover, this strategy would help the Government in publically making announcement about completion of only those projects which would be reflected in the lists to be furnished by the DDCs, sources said, adding “it has generally been seen that Ministers are making announcements about the completion of those projects, which otherwise are nowhere at the stage of completion”. They disclosed that not only Planning and Development Department even Chief Minister’s Secretariat would assess the progress on the works to be reflected in the lists.
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