Uttarakhand: The Chief Secretary expressed displeasure over the slow pace of projects and issued instructions to expedite them

Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan held a meeting with various departments at the Secretariat on Thursday regarding capital expenditure, CSS schemes, SASCSI, SNA Sparsh, and departmental expenditure plans. The Chief Secretary instructed officials to expedite slow-moving projects under Externally Aided Projects (EAPs). He stated that heads of departments and secretaries would be held responsible for the slow progress of these projects.

Horticulture and Agriculture Departments to Prepare Large and Integrated Projects

The Chief Secretary said that the Horticulture and Agriculture departments need to work together on large and integrated projects. He suggested working towards integrated farming in the areas of apples, kiwis, and aromatic plants. He added that large projects in trout production under fisheries would also require cold storage facilities. He instructed the Animal Husbandry and Cooperative departments to jointly prepare integrated projects for livestock and fisheries.

Cold Storage Chain to be Established Across the State as Needed

The Chief Secretary instructed that good projects be prepared for establishing nurseries and a cold storage chain for apple production under the Apple Mission. He said that a cold storage chain should be established wherever needed across the state so that any farmer can store their produce in a cold storage facility and bring it to the market at an opportune time.

Land Compensation Distribution Under PMGSY to be Completed This Financial Year

The Chief Secretary instructed that the distribution of land compensation under PMGSY be completed across the state through a campaign. He directed District Magistrates to provide district-wise data and set a target for the complete distribution of land compensation in this financial year. He also instructed the Agriculture Department to prioritize the projects received for chain-link fencing and send the proposals to the government expeditiously.

Large Projects for Small Barrages and Check Dams for Water Conservation Under SARA to be Prepared

The Chief Secretary said that projects for barrages and check dams for water conservation can be prepared by the concerned departments under the Spring and River Rejuvenation Authority (SARA). He instructed that the funds under SARA be fully utilized. He instructed the Transport Department to strengthen its infrastructure by expediting the work on new bus stations and charging stations.

All departments must ensure that their proposals are submitted to the government by January 30th

The Chief Secretary directed all departments to immediately provide their targets up to March 2026 to the Finance Department. He also instructed all departments to submit all their proposals to the government by January 30th. He stated that proposals received after this date would not be considered. Furthermore, funds allocated to departments that are not performing well will be transferred to other departments that are performing effectively.

Principal Secretary L. Fanai, Secretary Dilip Jawalkar, Dr. V. Shanmugam, Brijesh Kumar Sant, Dr. Ahmed Iqbal, and other senior officers were present on this occasion.