Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo today chaired a high-level meeting to assess the progress of key urban development projects across Jammu and Kashmir, focusing on Smart City initiatives, housing under PMAY (Urban), and livelihood programmes.
Senior officials, including Commissioner Secretary of Housing & Urban Development Department (H&UDD) Mandeep Kaur, Commissioners of Jammu and Srinagar Municipal Corporations, MDs of J&K Housing Board and NULM, and other stakeholders participated. Deputy Commissioners from across the UT joined virtually.
Push for Completion of Smart City Projects
Dulloo stressed the need to expedite the completion of long-pending Smart City Mission (SCM) works. “Many of these projects are nearing completion, and it is essential that citizens begin reaping their benefits without further delays,” he said.
Out of 127 and 161 projects initiated under the SCM in Jammu and Srinagar, only 7 in Jammu and 8 in Srinagar remain incomplete. Key projects include the Tawi Riverfront, Oceanarium at Bagh-e-Bahu, and heritage upgrades in Jammu, and the development of Traditional Souq Market, Shalimar Canal amenities, and inland water transport in Srinagar. Combined, these projects represent an investment of over ₹7,200 crore.
Reviewing the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban), the Chief Secretary directed officials to accelerate house completion across all verticals—Beneficiary Led Construction (BLC), ISS, AHP, ARHC, and EWS. MD, J&K Housing Board, Shahbaz Mirza, reported that 28,000 houses under BLC have been completed, reflecting a 72% completion rate.
Out of 1.52 lakh households surveyed under PMAY-U Phase 2, 46,770 have been identified as potential beneficiaries. Over 20,000 applications have already been received and are under verification.
The functioning of electric buses, introduced under the FAME initiative in Jammu and Srinagar, also came under review. Officials reported the revenue per kilometre is ₹11, significantly lower than the national benchmark of ₹38/km. Dulloo asked for immediate measures to bridge this financial gap.
Focus on Urban Livelihood Schemes
The Chief Secretary reiterated the government's focus on uplifting urban poor through schemes like NULM, PM-SVANidhi, and the newly launched D-JAY (Shehri). MD, NULM, Mridhu Salathia, said the pilot for D-JAY would begin soon and aims to tackle urban poverty through employment, social security, and grassroots institution-building over the next five years.
Dulloo also instructed officers to ensure timely establishment of infrastructure and deployment of staff under ongoing and new initiatives to ensure maximum outreach and impact.