Jammu: The Jammu and Kashmir Tribal Affairs department on Sunday sanctioned projects worth Rs 38 crore for Poonch district during the current fiscal, an official spokesman said.
The projects include establishment of 12 smart schools, tribal museum and research centre, setting up two milk villages, developing public infrastructure in 18 villages, health infrastructure, mobile dispensaries, tourism infrastructure and sheep farms and dairy farms, he said.
The spokesman said the sanction was granted by Secretary, Tribal Affairs Department, Shahid Iqbal Choudhary at a meeting convened to review the progress under district capital expenditure, Border Area Development Programme (BADP), tribal welfare and youth engagement initiatives in the district.
Choudhary asked the departments for immediate steps to ensure timely completion of projects under centrally-sponsored schemes.
He also took serious note of the slow pace of tendering in rural development work and delay in repair of machines and transformers for which departments were asked to fix responsibility.
Detailed review of tribal plan and BADP was also conducted and departments were asked to ensure outcome-based utilisation of funds within stipulated time, the spokesman said.
He said discussions were also held regarding youth engagement programme and it was agreed to provide funding to the tune of Rs 5 crore, including development of counselling centres, library, sports equipment and tournaments, grant-in-aid of Rs 60 lakh to youth clubs, funding for self-employment schemes, including Mumkin, Tejaswini and initiative for victims of border shelling and insurgency.
The secretary also approved Rs 75 Lakh for hostel furniture, while Rs 4.30 crore has been provided by the department for scholarship to tribal students and Rs 2.20 crore for facilities in 11 selected schools of various zones in Poonch, the spokesman said.
He said establishment of Eklavya Model Residential School (EMRS) at Poonch at a cost of Rs 24 crore has been proposed by the tribal affairs department for which Deputy Commissioner Poonch was asked to propose land and Detailed Project Report to be formulated by the Public Works Department.
The EMRS will be a residential school for 600 students with all modern facilities, he said.
The spokesman added that development of 56 villages in the district under the Integrated Village Development Scheme of the tribal department was also discussed for which the departments concerned were asked to make efficient plans with active involvement of gram panchayats.
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