Centre carefully monitoring Jammu and Kashmir package

A matrix with a timeline for implementing the projects has been approved

There are about 18-20 projects in all at different stages. File photo: Reuters

The Centre has directed 18 ministries overseeing various projects, which are part of a Rs.80,000 crore package for Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), to set a timeline for implementing them. The package was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last November. At a review meeting with these ministries and officials from the state government, the Union Finance Secretary Ashok Lavasa approved a matrix for the timeline.

Detailed matrix

“A detailed matrix has been made and now it has been decided that the J&K Division in the Home Ministry will regularly monitor these,” Mr. Lavasa told The Hindu in an exclusive interview. J&K Principal Secretary Planning Bharat Vyas attended the meeting.

There has been “a lot of progress” in some schemes such as the approvals for the setting up of an IIT and an IIM and other such institutions, Mr. Lavasa said.

“Teams have gone, identified the sites, now they are waiting for the state government to offer the land to them… That is one set of projects where identification of site, conceptualisation, that is the stage where it is… the ministries and centre now have to take the next step, for example all the IIT, IIM…once the land issue is sorted out then they will prepare a detailed project report, go through the clearances processes in the government,” he said.

Pending clearances

Some forest clearances issues are pending, which the state government will have to deal with, Mr. Lavasa said.

Construction work is going on in about 18 different roads projects, some of being executed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), others by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) or the Ministry of Road Transport, he said. “There are about 18-20 projects in all…at different stages.”

It was also decided at the meeting that the state governments will either submit utilisation certificates or make specific proposals providing elaborate information to the administrative ministries, including the Food Processing Ministry, Agriculture Ministry, so that projects can be finalised.

Mr. Lavasa said that the Centre has already released about Rs.2,000 crore for flood relief.