Secretary, Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj, Mohammad Aijaz Asad, on Wednesday conducted a comprehensive review of the Annual Action Plan (AAP) and Labour Budget (LB) for MGNREGA for the fiscal 2025-26, focusing on 10 districts of Jammu division. Director RDD Jammu, Mumtaz Ali; Joint Director Planning, Kamal Kumar Sharma; Additional Secretary RD&PR, Waseem Raja; Superintending Engineer REW Jammu, Rajesh Kumar Agastam; Assistant Commissioner(s) Development and Executive Engineers of Jammu division attended the meeting.
The meeting covered various crucial aspects such as geo-tagging, National MGNREGS Management System (NMMS) usage, timely wage payments, implementation of Area Officer app, compensation status, identification of Amrit Sarovar sites for Phase II and ensuring that PMAY beneficiaries receive the mandated 95 days of work until house completion.
The Secretary asked for taking up Category B works including PMAY-G on priority basis. He said that every PMAY-G beneficiary must receive 95 days of guaranteed labour support under MGNREGA. He also directed the district authorities to complete survey for PMAY-G before March 31st, ensuring that no deserving beneficiary is left out and no ineligible person is included.
"Excluding eligible beneficiaries is a serious lapse and will not be tolerated," the Secretary cautioned the officers. The Secretary stressed the need for a campaign mode approach towards job card verification and updates, urging officials to ensure accuracy and inclusivity in the whole process.
He emphasised that planning should be people-centric and community-driven, with a focus on precision in project execution. Aijaz Asad highlighted the importance of convergence in all allied works, particularly leveraging the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP) to maximise benefits in agriculture and allied sectors.
He encouraged the district officials to bring innovation to convergence works, such as constructing cattle sheds, food grain storage units and fair-price shops to support rural self-sufficiency. Additionally, he suggested for creating work sheds for Self-Help Groups (SHGs) to enhance employment opportunities and product sales.
He also recommended promotion of orchards including Amla and Olive plantations, tailored to meet district specific needs. The Secretary emphasised the need to incorporate Panchayat building repairs, boundary wall construction and strengthening of local governance infrastructure in the plan.
He was informed that 227 sites have been identified across Jammu division for the next phase of Amrit Sarovar, focusing on water conservation. Additional Secretary RD&PR, Waseem Raja, provided a detailed presentation on the Annual Action Plan (AAP) for MGNREGA 2025-26, highlighting key focus areas and challenges.
Meanwhile, the district officials informed the meeting about inclusion of various convergence plans, such as promotion of livelihood projects including fishponds, water harvesting and income generating assets.