Jammu, Jan 04: A review meeting of the House Committee on the Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) was chaired by MLA Justice (Retd.) Hussnain Masoodi. Senior JKNC legislators including Ali Mohammad Dar, Altaf Kaloo, Tanvir Sadiq, Reyaz Bedar and Arjun Singh Raju among others, were present.
The meeting was also attended by the Additional Chief Secretary, PHE, Shaleen Kabra, the Chief Engineers, PHE Kashmir and Jammu, and other senior departmental officials. The meeting was held in a constructive and positive spirit.
The Committee emphasized that the trust reposed in it must be upheld in letter and spirit. It was decided that detailed reviews and on-the-spot inspections of JJM works in different areas will commence this week.
The Committee categorically clarified that the misconception regarding the stoppage of funds due to the constitution of this Committee must be dispelled.
It was reiterated that the current funding constraints are a result of the halt in central funds and not due to the functioning of the Committee. The Committee strongly advocated that funds be released at the earliest.
It was also stressed that necessary relaxation of rules, wherever feasible, should be considered so that contractors and other stakeholders do not suffer due to non-release of funds arising from the pause in central assistance—a situation affecting several states, including Jammu and Kashmir.
The Additional Chief Secretary assured the Committee that the matter would be taken up with the Finance Department and that efforts would be made to explore avenues for allocation of funds by the government
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