A review meeting of various issues and work status under Rural Development Department, Leh being funded through Centrally sponsored schemes was convened by Sheetal Nanda, Secretary to Government, Rural Development Department and Panchayati Raj, J&K on July 7.

Sheetal Nanda enquired in detail about each and every scheme under Rurban, MGNREGA, PMAY-G, Swachh Bharat Mission and 14th Finance Commission. She took a detail overview of physical and financial progress, status of implementation, uploading of data on Rurban soft, release of convergence funds, creation of economic activities in the cluster, status of incomplete works, status of timely payment of wages, position of billing of works executed, status of Geo-tagging on different phases, status of action plan of Financial Year 2019-20 and status of submission of Utilization Certificates to obtain 2nd installment of funds etc.

She sought a plan proposal of ₹1 crore under Rural Connectivity scheme which shall be spent for connecting those villages or hamlets which are not so far linked with the main road. She urged the officers to strictly verify the bank accounts of job card holders and ensure that the benefits are reached to the actual beneficiaries.

Taking serious note on spending extra money on toilets without approving the revised estimate, Secretary RDD cautioned Engineering Wing to avoid cost escalation on all type of projects. 

Seeing delay in completion of some projects, she asked Avny Lavasa, DC Leh to set a deadline for completion of these works.  She asked to upload the completed works with photographs on the Departmental website saying that such monitoring mechanism will ensure timely completion of works in a more transparent way. 

She further urged to carry out all the GoI schemes as per the guidelines and said that prompt progress of work and timely submission of UCs are essential to receive further funds. 

Engineering wings were instructed to devise estimation of projects mentioning the previous works in an incremental way so that it should indicate the actual status of projects.

Later, a meeting was also convened with the Implementing officers, BDOs, GRS, MPWs and VLWs about timely payment of wages. 

Rakesh Badiyal, Under Secretary, RDD highlighted the Standard Operating Procedures of clearing the payments, maintenances of master sheets and role, recording of work progress, utilization of job cards, use of mobile monitoring system, holding of citizen information board,  planning process during pre-execution, during execution and after execution, generation of person-days etc.

Secretary RDD cautioned the officers, GRS, MPW and VLWs to work hard in achieving the targets within the time frame by uploading the work status on the website on a regular basis.She said that no one shall be spared for any kind of delay or lapses.