JAMMU: More than three lakh houses have been completed in Jammu and Kashmir under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana‑Gramin (PMAY-G), achieving nearly 97 per cent of the target, officials said on Sunday.
Secretary of the Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Department Jammu and Kashmir, Mohammad Aijaz Asad, directed officials to accelerate work on the remaining houses under the scheme.
During a review meeting held to assess the progress of PMAY-G in the Union Territory, the secretary said that the current phase of the scheme is nearing completion and all works sanctioned under it must be finished before the new phase begins.
Officials informed the meeting that a total of 3,23,299 houses have already been completed, while construction work on 11,340 houses is still underway.
Asad directed Assistant Commissioners of Development (ACDs) and Block Development Officers (BDOs) to closely track each case and ensure that no sanctioned house remains incomplete. He also instructed that any technical or administrative bottlenecks affecting the progress be resolved immediately.
The secretary stressed that all pending houses must be completed by April 15, asking officers to make every possible effort to meet the deadline, even if it requires working round the clock.
He warned that houses left incomplete under the current phase will not be taken up once the next phase of the scheme begins.
Asad also asked the directors of rural development in the Jammu and Kashmir regions to hold weekly review meetings and regularly update the department on progress.
He further emphasised the need for the early release of pending instalments to beneficiaries and directed ACDs to conduct block-wise reviews to ensure timely payments.
Highlighting the recent survey conducted ahead of the launch of the next phase of PMAY-G, the secretary said the exercise has been carried out using AI-based technology to ensure greater transparency and accuracy in identifying eligible beneficiaries.
