Administrative Council approves priorities for all departments for the financial year 2023-24

SRINAGAR: In an important decision, the Administrative Council (AC) which met here today under the chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha approved a comprehensive list of priority works for all departments for the financial year 2023-24.

Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor; Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary, J&K and Mandeep Kumar Bhandari, Principal Secretary to the Lieutenant Governor attended the meeting.

These priority works are clearly delineated deliverables and area unique initiative introduced by the Government of Jammu & Kashmir during the last financial year whereby the priority works with respect to each department were identified and timelines were defined to achieve them.

The exercise of framing the detailed departmental deliverables and fixing tangible and time-bound targets; was undertaken in consultation with concerned departments and timelines were laid down on monthly, quarterly, half-yearly and yearly basis.

The deliverables primarily include various developmental projects, service delivery improvements, revenue generation, welfare initiatives and other core activities pertaining to each department. During the last financial year, a total of 1137 deliverables were assigned to the departments.

Besides the divisional and district administrations prioritized implementation of these departmental deliverables by undertaking proper planning, assessment and gap analysis for timely action to achieve the targets set out.

The implementation of these deliverables was monitored through a structured mechanism at the Secretariat level and achievements, both at the Secretariat and district levels and ranking was carried out on monthly basis, thereby generating a healthy competition amongst various wings of the Government.

These initiatives, not only define the quality and quantity of departmental services to be ensured in a time-bound manner, but are also aimed at enhancing efficiency and productivity through greater inter-departmental convergence and coordination.

Considering that the initiative was a success in propelling growth and development in the Union territory through transformative action in all areas, the Government decided to continue with the exercise of assigning deliverables to all the departments, this financial year.

This financial year the list of deliverables broadly include approximately 1791 tangible targets.

The exercise imparts clear direction to all departments regarding way forward and is unique to J&K.

It merits mention here that J&K has emerged as a leader in many areas of governance and this unique initiative is bedrock of these changes.