Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Aug 20: Minister of State for Technical Education, Power and Rural Development Vikar Rasool has urged upon the officers to speed up the implementation of Backward Regions Grant Fund (BRGF) scheme to ensure sustained development of the backward areas of the State.
The Minister was speaking at a review meeting convened to discuss the implementation of BRGF in the State.
The Commissioner Secretary Rural Development, Farooq Ahmad Peer, Director Rural Development Kashmir, Mir Altaf Ahmad, Deputy Commissioner Kupwara Itrat Hussain Rafiqui, ACDs of Kishtwar, Doda, Kupwara, Poonch and Ramban were also present in the meeting.
Mr. Vikar asked the officers to ensure that the funds earmarked under the scheme are utilized to the maximum so that the development of the backward areas is ensured. He said, the scheme has been envisaged by the Centre to bridge the critical gaps in the infrastructural development of the far-flung areas of the State.
The Minister also directed the officers to conduct regular field visits to the areas in which the scheme is being implemented to get first-hand information about the implementation on ground so that lacuna if any can be filled.
It was also given out in the meeting that an amount of Rs 84 crore has been fixed as entitlement of funds for the year 2013-14 under backward regions BRGF as against an amount of Rs 30.40 crore which were released under the scheme during 2011-12.
The Minister also chaired the meeting in which a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL) and Technical Education Department. The meeting was also attended by the Secretary Technical Education Parvez Malik, representatives of PGCIL and other senior officers.
It is pertinent to mentioned here that PGCIL under Corporate Social responsibility had offered the State Government to set up an ITI at Ganderbal and provide the requisite training besides creating job recruitment drive in the campus for the youth of the State, which has been accepted by the State Government.
It was also agreed in the meeting that PGCIL will construct Academic and Administrative blocks besides providing machinery, equipment and arranging guest faculties for imparting specialized training to the youth whereas the Government would provide land to them.
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