Focus on border tourism & livelihood generation schemes under Samridh Seema Yojana: Secretary Planning J&K
JAMMU, May 06 Dr. Raghav Langer, IAS, Secretary, Planning, Development & Monitoring Department chaired a meeting to review the progress on preparation of Annual Action Plan (AAP) 2023-24 under Samridh Seema Yojana (SSY).
The Secretary held detailed assessment of the Physical & Financial progress made under SSY during 2022-23. It was apprised that against total release of Rs. 42.44 crore, an expenditure of Rs. 29.10 crore has been incurred, whereas 380 number of works were completed against 478 works under SSY during 2022-23. The Secretary stressed upon the District Development Commissioners & concerned officers of 08 border districts of Jammu/Samba/Kathua/Rajouri/Poonch/Baramulla/Kupwara & Bandipora districts to implement the scheme for addressing the infrastructure gaps in border habitations through convergence and to meet the special developmental needs and well being of the people living in remote & inaccessible areas through a participatory approach. Director General, BADP & Chief Planning Officers of the concerned districts attended the meeting.
Addressing the officers, the Secretary emphasized upon them to give first priority to all the ongoing works of 2022-23 while formulating the Annual Action Plan (AAP) 2023-24 under the scheme which has been placed under District Capex Budget in the Current Financial Year.
He asked the officers to include works like Promoting Border Tourism, Border Home stays, Guest Houses, Tourism related infrastructure, Skill development training and capacity building/ Livelihood generation programme, Agriculture / Horticulture & allied activities (Farm Mechanization / Farm Machinery Hiring Centers / Common Facilitation Centers / Micro Irrigation / Area expansion under orchard plantation / High yielding Plantations etc) for community benefit, Financial inclusion Rural haats etc in consultation with PRIs, while formulating AAP 2023-24 under SSY. It was also agreed to include works like provisioning of decentralized renewal energy related intervention such as solar dryers, solar mills, biomass – powered cold storage, Solar Pumps, among others, for community benefit, Smart Classes & Smart Labs and provision for Monitoring Mechanism (Use of IT tools for outcome monitoring) in the current year.
Directions were issued to the officers that duplication of works should be avoided besides tangible outcomes should be achieved from the interventions. A mobile application and Dashboard shall also be developed for mapping of the assets created so far both under Border Area Development Programme & Samridh Seema Yojana.
SSY was launched in FY 2022-23 in the Union Territory of J&K as a special initiative, under the leadership of Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor & guidance of the Chief Secretary, with an allocation of Rs 50 crores for inclusive development of border areas, in convergence with other schemes, especially in the Seven Thematic Areas- Roads & Buildings Infrastructure, Health Infrastructure, Education Infrastructure, Agriculture, Power Infrastructure, Drinking Water Supply, Social Sector & Sports Infrastructure. The aim is to ensure the provision of essential infrastructure facilities and opportunities for sustainable living which would help integrate these areas with the mainstream through providing of basic facilities and in turn create a positive perception and encourage people to stay in the border areas in a dignified and secured environment.
The UT of Jammu & Kashmir has more than 800 km long border (IB/LoC) running through 08 districts. Schemes like SSY, BADP cover all the census villages/towns, semi-urban areas located within 0-10 kms aerial distance and includes 1827 border habitations in 83 border blocks covering an area of 5,28,533 hectares & approx 29 lakh population.
