Jammu, Jan 05: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Monday said that major infrastructure projects and public schemes in the Union Territory are being monitored through the Pragati platform to ensure timely implementation and resolution of bottlenecks.
Addressing a press conference in Jammu as per KNS, after the 50th session of Pragati, Dulloo said Pragati, or Proactive Governance and Timely Implementation, is a mechanism through which the Prime Minister reviews major projects, schemes and public grievances in real time.
He said sectors such as roads, power, health, industry, education and digital connectivity are being covered under the monitoring framework in Jammu and Kashmir. Dulloo said coordination between the central government, the Union Territory administration and executing agencies is required for completion of large projects.
The Chief Secretary said projects of Rs 500 crore and above are monitored by the Project Monitoring Group (PMG), which functions under the Cabinet Secretariat. He said the PMG tracks issues related to land acquisition, environmental clearances, utility shifting and law enforcement through an online portal.
Dulloo said there are 61 projects worth Rs 4.12 lakh crore listed on the PMG portal in Jammu and Kashmir. Of these, 15 projects worth Rs 69,000 crore have been completed, while 46 projects worth Rs 3.43 lakh crore are at various stages of execution.
He said high-priority projects from the PMG list are reviewed on the Pragati platform, which is chaired by the Prime Minister. In Jammu and Kashmir, 15 such projects worth Rs 1.12 lakh crore are being monitored under Pragati.
Dulloo said issues related to land acquisition, environmental approvals, agriculture and construction have been discussed under Pragati. He said 69 issues relating to 15 projects were taken up, of which 57 have been resolved.
He said six projects worth Rs 53,000 crore have been completed through interventions under Pragati. These include the Jammu-Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link, which was initiated in 1995, the Kishanganga Hydroelectric Project and its transmission system, utility shifting related to AIIMS Jammu and Kashmir, the Srinagar-Banihal stretch of National Highway-44, and the Srinagar-Drass-Kargil-Khaltsi-Leh transmission system, which has been handed over to the Ladakh Union Territory.
The Chief Secretary said nine projects worth Rs 69,000 crore remain under Pragati monitoring. These include the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway, AIIMS Awantipora, the Pakal Dul Hydroelectric Project and 4G coverage under the Universal Service Obligation Fund. He said 27 issues related to these projects have been resolved, while two are pending.
Dulloo said Pragati also reviews social sector schemes and public grievances, adding that 56 other schemes and programmes across the country are monitored under the platform.
Responding to questions on delays, Dulloo said coordination issues among departments earlier contributed to delays but have now been addressed. He said execution-related issues such as labour availability, weather conditions and local disruptions affect timelines.
On AIIMS Kashmir and the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway, he said there are no coordination issues with departments or ministries, and delays are linked to execution challenges. On security arrangements for major projects, he said necessary measures are in place but details cannot be shared.(KNS).
