PM’s Direct Monitoring Accelerates Mega Projects Across J&K: Chief Secretary
Jammu, KNT: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Monday highlighted the transformative role of the PRAGATI Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation platform in accelerating major developmental projects across Jammu and Kashmir, stating that the technology-driven mechanism has emerged as a key instrument for resolving long-pending bottlenecks and ensuring timely execution of big-ticket initiatives.
Addressing a press briefing, the Chief Secretary underlined the significance of PRAGATI@50, noting that several projects which had remained stalled for decades due to inter-departmental coordination issues and procedural delays have been unlocked after being brought under the platform’s close monitoring.
The briefing was attended by senior officers of the Directorate of Information and Public Relations, including Commissioner Secretary Information M. Raju, Director Information Nitish Rajora, Director PIB Jammu Neha Jalali, Joint Director Information Headquarters Zahoor Ahmad Raina and Joint Director Information Jammu Deepak Dubey.
Citing the Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla Rail Link as a prime example, the Chief Secretary said the project, initiated in 1995, witnessed negligible progress for nearly 25 years. He said that after the project was taken up under PRAGATI for close monitoring, it gained substantial momentum due to improved inter-departmental coordination and direct intervention at the highest level by the Prime Minister.
He informed that all projects with an outlay exceeding ₹500 crore are monitored by the Prime Minister’s Group headed by the Cabinet Secretary, while the most critical projects are directly reviewed by the Prime Minister through PRAGATI meetings. At present, he said, 61 projects in Jammu and Kashmir with a cumulative investment of over ₹4.12 lakh crore are under PMG monitoring, covering sectors such as connectivity, energy and social infrastructure.
Out of these, the Chief Secretary said, 15 projects worth ₹69,000 crore have already been completed, while the remaining projects are at different stages of execution. He added that 15 major projects in the Union Territory are under direct monitoring of the Prime Minister through PRAGATI, enabling faster resolution of issues related to land acquisition, financial constraints and physical bottlenecks, while also ensuring timely compensation to affected families.
Highlighting the effectiveness of the mechanism, Dulloo said that of the 59 issues pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir taken up in previous PRAGATI meetings, 57 have already been resolved on merit, placing the Union Territory among the top performers at the national level, supported by strong district-level follow-up.
He further said that six high-impact projects worth around ₹53,000 crore have been completed in Jammu and Kashmir under PRAGATI monitoring. These include the USBRL project, Kishanganga Hydroelectric Project along with its transmission line, AIIMS Jammu, the Banihal stretch of NH-44 and the Alsteng–Kargil–Khaltse–Leh transmission line.
The Chief Secretary added that nine additional projects currently under PRAGATI monitoring are progressing at a satisfactory pace, including the Delhi–Amritsar–Katra Expressway Corridor, AIIMS Awantipora, Pakul Dul Hydroelectric Project and 4G mobile connectivity under the USOF programme, besides other key energy and connectivity initiatives.
Concluding the briefing, Dulloo reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to fully implement the directions issued through the PRAGATI mechanism at the Union Territory level, stating that the platform will continue to be leveraged to ensure outcome-oriented governance and completion of projects within approved timelines. [KNT]
