Srinagar, Sep 29: The Centre has taken on the Jammu and Kashmir over the delay in completion of various developmental projects in several departments.

Sources said that have been many projects in the state, which awaits completion since years.

“The Centre has told the state that no funds will be released if the projects are not completed immediately without any further delay,” an official said.

However, the official told Kashmir News Service that Governor has taken a serious note of it and took on concerned authorities. Following which, a high level committee has been framed to monitor the schemes and projects on monthly basis for their timely completion.

The committee has been directed to review the progress of projects on monthly basis to gauge the pace of progress.

The committee will be headed by Administrative Secretary Industries and Commerce while Director, Director Planning, and Assistant Director are its members.

A source in the department said that government constituted the committee as the Centre has been unhappy over delay in projects. “The completion of projects and recently approved JK Trade and Export Policy is to transform the state from being supply constrained to a competitive export-led entity,” the official said.

Similarly, the Centre has also expressed unhappiness over the delay in completion of works in Prime Minister’s Gram SadakYojana (PMGSY).

The Centre has told the state all these works are required to be awarded on priority basis.

Expressing concern over slow pace of works, Union Secretary for Rural Development Department has written to state government to achieve the target by March 2019.

“The state has been able to get approval under PMGSY-11, which would be possible after awarding 80 percent of old works,” the recent letter reads.

The state has to complete connectivity of 600 habitations by March 2019. However, only 100 habitations (16.66 percent) as per the document have been connected in the current financial year.

An official document reveals that pack of works under the scheme is below the national average. “For the next seven months, the state would require to construct roads at an average rate of 10 Km per day,” the document reads.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Kashmir Monitor staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)