Srinagar: Secretary, Rural Development Department (RDD) and Panchayati Raj, Mohammad Aijaz Asad, Monday chaired a review meeting with all the Deputy Commissioners to assess implementation of the Panchayat Advancement Index (PAI) 2.0 and the status of land allocation for construction of Panchayat Ghars across Jammu & Kashmir.
The meeting was attended by all District Development Commissioners of J&K, Director RDD Kashmir, Shabir Hussain Bhat, Director RDD Jammu, Mumtaz Ali, Director Panchayati Raj Sham Lal, Superintending Engineer REW Kashmir, Aamir Ali, Superintending Engineer REW Jammu, Rajesh Kumar, Deputy Secretary, Tahir Ahmad Magray, Assistant Commissioner Panchayats (ACPs), Executive Engineers and SPRC/DPRC team.
The Secretary underscored the significance of PAI as a key instrument for promoting data-driven and evidence-based planning at the grassroots level. Developed by the Ministry of Panchayati Raj, PAI consolidates the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) into 9 actionable themes tailored to local governance, covering poverty alleviation, health, education, gender equity, water sufficiency, green infrastructure, good governance and more.
“PAI is not just a ranking tool; it’s a planning framework for our panchayats to understand where they stand and how they can improve,” said Secretary Asad, urging the DCs to take ownership and initiate thematic workshops for capacity building at district and block levels.
He directed for holding workshops at district, block and panchayat levels, with the DCs themselves chairing these sessions. Departments like Health, Education and Women & Child Development should be involved and each district was advised to prioritise one theme to achieve focused, measurable outcomes, potentially leading to national recognition.
The Secretary encouraged the DCs to log in to the official PAI portal (www.pai.gov.in) to assess their district and panchayat-wise rankings. He also directed each district to nominate a Nodal Officer to monitor progress regularly and conduct monthly or quarterly reviews of PAI implementation.
Encouraging quick results, the Secretary suggested that DCs select “low-hanging fruit” themes to show visible improvements within three months. “This will not only solve real issues at the grassroots but also prepare our panchayats for the upcoming National Panchayat Awards,” he added.
The Secretary reviewed the status of Panchayat Ghars (PGs). Out of a target of 500 PGs for 2024–25, land has been identified for 386 sites and 358 Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) have already been submitted.
However, expressing concern over delays, he emphasized that pending land identification issues from both 2023–24 and 2024–25 phases must be resolved on priority. He reminded the DCs that they have full authority to shift locations of PGs within their districts based on local feasibility and requirements.
“Land must be identified and allotted without delay. If issues are not resolved within one week, projects will be reallocated or withdrawn, he maintained.”
The Secretary asked both the Director of RDD to submit a complete list of incomplete Panchayat Ghars. He also highlighted the need to integrate key services in Panchayat Ghars, such as Common Service Centres (CSCs), Panchayat Learning Centres (PLCs), internet connectivity and electrification to make them holistic service hubs.
Reviewing the status of PLCs, the Secretary issued clear instructions to make all PLCs fully functional within a week. He asked the field-level officers to resolve any pending installation, equipment or staffing issue without delay.
