Stresses Timely Completion of Ongoing Projects
SRINAGAR: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo today chaired a meeting of the High Powered Committee (HPC) of NABARD to review the progress achieved under previous Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) programmes and to approve new projects to be taken up under RIDF Tranche XXXI (2025–26) across Jammu and Kashmir.
The meeting was attended by Additional Chief Secretary, Public Works (R&B); Principal Secretary, Finance; Secretary, Health & Medical Education; Development Commissioner (Works); Director General, Resources; Chief General Manager, NABARD; and senior officers from Jal Shakti, Agriculture Production, Horticulture, Animal & Sheep Husbandry, and other concerned departments.
At the outset, the Chief Secretary reviewed department-wise progress of ongoing RIDF projects and emphasized the need for their timely completion, particularly those sanctioned under RIDF XXVI and XXVII that are nearing their final phase. He directed all executing agencies to prioritize projects nearing completion and ensure they are finished within the stipulated timelines.
He further instructed departments to expedite the release of pending tranches from NABARD to facilitate smooth completion of ongoing works. Departments were also advised to propose only feasible projects that can be completed within the approved RIDF timeframe, avoiding delays and cost overruns that strain departmental Capex budgets.
The Chief Secretary suggested that time-intensive projects should be taken up under other funding programmes, while NABARD funds should be used exclusively for projects that can be executed within the RIDF period.
Principal Secretary, Finance, Santosh D. Vaidya, informed the Committee that expenditure under RIDF has witnessed a significant upward trend this year, with more projects completed than in previous years. He called for improved efficiency in expenditure to maximize developmental outcomes across departments.
Presenting a detailed overview, Director General, Resources, M.Y. Itoo, informed that from RIDF XXVI to XXX, a total of 1,426 projects worth ₹7,000 crore have been sanctioned, achieving an overall expenditure of about 36% so far. These include:
PWD: 1,145 projects worth ₹5,249 crore
Jal Shakti: 90 projects worth ₹740 crore
Agriculture: 104 projects worth ₹517 crore
Horticulture: 22 projects worth ₹145 crore
Animal & Sheep Husbandry: 45 projects worth ₹203 crore
Health Department: 20 projects worth ₹127 crore
The expenditure target for 2025–26 has been fixed at ₹1,304 crore, aimed at completing all pending projects within their deadlines while sustaining progress in ongoing and new works.
The Chief Secretary also underscored the importance of timely submission of Project Completion Certificates (PCCs) and Project Completion Reports (PCRs) to facilitate release of additional funds and enable approval of new projects.
It was informed that under RIDF XXXI (2025–26), NABARD has made a normative allocation of ₹600 crore for Jammu and Kashmir, distributed as follows:
PWD: ₹330 crore
Jal Shakti: ₹149 crore
Health & Medical Education: ₹9 crore
Horticulture: ₹14 crore
Animal & Sheep Husbandry: ₹47 crore
Agriculture: ₹50 crore
Around 201 new projects are proposed to be executed across sectors under this tranche during 2025–26.
Concluding the meeting, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo reiterated that strict adherence to timelines, optimal fund utilization, and quality execution must remain the defining features of all NABARD-funded projects to ensure their maximum developmental impact at the grassroots level.
