Jammu, Jan 20: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Tuesday chaired a meeting of the High Powered Committee (HPC) of NABARD to review the progress of projects funded under various tranches of the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF) and to assess new proposals under RIDF XXXI (2025–26) across Jammu and Kashmir.

The meeting was attended by the Additional Chief Secretaries of Agriculture Production and Public Works (R&B), Principal Secretary Finance, Director General Resources, Chief General Manager NABARD, and senior officers from Health, Jal Shakti and other departments.
The Chief Secretary undertook a department-wise review of ongoing RIDF projects and stressed the need for timely completion of works sanctioned under RIDF XXVI and XXVII, which are nearing completion. He directed executing agencies to strictly adhere to timelines and prioritise projects showing satisfactory progress.
Emphasising seamless fund flow, Dulloo instructed departments to secure pending tranches from NABARD at the earliest to avoid delays and prevent additional burden on regular Capex budgets. He also directed departments to upload RIDF projects on the PM Gati Shakti portal for effective monitoring and utility analysis, and to finalise new projects proposed under RIDF XXXI well before the end of February 2026.
Principal Secretary Finance Santosh D. Vaidya briefed the committee on expenditure trends, noting a steady rise in utilisation from about 56 per cent in 2022–23 to 76 per cent in 2024–25. He urged departments to further improve efficiency, informing that against an expenditure of ₹1,024 crore in 2024–25, an allocation of ₹1,816 crore has been made this year for completing ongoing projects.
Director General Resources M.Y. Itoo informed that 1,426 projects worth ₹6,981 crore have been sanctioned under RIDF XXVI to XXX, of which 333 projects have been completed so far, with about 35 per cent of the loan amount expended. These include major projects from PWD (R&B), Jal Shakti, Agriculture, Horticulture, Animal and Sheep Husbandry, and Health departments.
Regarding RIDF XXXI, it was informed that 139 projects worth ₹381 crore have already been sanctioned, while another 40 projects amounting to ₹227 crore are under consideration at NABARD.
The Chief Secretary also stressed the timely submission of Project Completion Certificates and Reports to enable the release of further funds and approval of new projects. Concluding the meeting, he reiterated that adherence to timelines and optimal utilisation of NABARD funds must remain the focus to ensure maximum developmental impact at the grassroots level.