Rana reviews development works in Poonch; calls for expeditious completion

JAMMU : Aimed at accelerating the pace of development in Poonch district, Minister for Jal Shakti, Forest, Ecology & Environment and Tribal Affairs, Javed Ahmed Rana, on Friday chaired a virtual meeting to review the progress of ongoing developmental works in the district.
The review meeting was attended by the District Development Commissioner (DDC), Poonch, Ashok Kumar Sharma, along with Heads of Departments and key district officers representing various line departments.
The meeting was convened to assess both the physical and financial achievements across all sectors, schemes and development plans currently under implementation in the district during the 2025–26 financial year.
The Minister evaluated the district’s developmental roadmap, with special emphasis on critical infrastructure projects and public welfare initiatives.
While chairing the meeting, Rana stressed the importance of achieving the set targets within the stipulated timelines, underscoring that quality and transparency must not be compromised at any stage. He directed the officers to expedite project implementation and ensure that processes such as tendering, approvals and on-ground execution are carried out in a swift and time-bound manner.
Reaffirming the government’s commitment to holistic development of Poonch, the Minister instructed the officials to maintain meticulous sector-wise documentation of progress and submit weekly updates to enable continuous and effective monitoring.
He further called for enhanced inter-departmental coordination and real-time monitoring mechanisms to bridge implementation gaps and ensure that UT and Centrally Sponsored Schemes reach the grassroots level.
During the meeting, the Minister also reviewed the prevailing power supply scenario and the status of ongoing power infrastructure works in the district.
Highlighting the strategic importance of the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), particularly for a hilly district like Poonch, he described the scheme as a transformative initiative for strengthening the power distribution network in Jammu and Kashmir. He directed the concerned officers to formulate a proactive roadmap to ensure the successful and timely implementation of RDSS in the district.
The Minister further emphasized that no payments should be released without thorough physical verification of all ongoing and completed works. He instructed the officers to conduct regular on-ground inspections to verify quality, progress and adherence to approved specifications, reiterating that financial disbursements must be strictly linked to verification reports.
Additionally, the Minister reviewed the progress of J&K Green Drives being implemented by the Poonch Forest Division. He reiterated that any bottlenecks hampering the execution of projects and schemes must be resolved immediately to avoid inconvenience to the public.
Earlier, the Deputy Commissioner presented a detailed scheme-wise overview of the physical and financial progress of developmental works being executed in the district. He informed the meeting that under the Constituency Development Fund (CDF), 151 works are underway in Haveli, 17 in Mendhar and 67 in Surankote constituencies.
Under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), the Deputy Commissioner stated that 19 works have been allotted in Mendhar, while 23 works have been allotted in Poonch. He further apprised that under the Public Works Department (PWD), 225 works have been approved in Poonch, 18 in Surankote and 742 in Mendhar.
Providing an update on rural development initiatives, he informed that under the Rural Development Department (RDD), a total of 3,280 works have been tendered, of which 2,842 works have been allotted. He also shared details of works being executed under the Irrigation & Flood Control Department, Ground Water Division, Border Area Development Programme and other schemes, assuring that concerted efforts are being made to expedite their completion.
The Deputy Commissioner also briefed the meeting on implementation of Tribal Welfare Schemes in District Poonch. He informed that under various Centrally Sponsored Schemes, 317 works have been allotted and are currently at different stages of completion.
He further highlighted the welfare initiatives being implemented under schemes such as SCA to TSS, PMAAGY and DAJGUA.