Friday, 09 July 2021 | PNS | Dehradun
Chief secretary Sukhbir Singh Sandhu chaired the meeting of the high powered committee on World Bank funded Uttarakhand decentralised development project- phase II (Gramya) here on Thursday. The committee members recommended extension of the contract period with various technical partner organisations in the meeting.
The chief secretary said that focus should be laid on maximising the achievement of the project’s aims. He also directed the officials to ensure that the project is completed within the set time frame. Further, regular monitoring should be undertaken to ensure the quality of the works. He also directed the officials to ensure that the benefit of the scheme reaches the maximum number of citizens, adding that the local residents should be provided training so that employment can be generated for the locals in this area. The participation of the general public should be informed by informing them about the policies and programmes of the project.
The project director Neena Grewal informed that the main aim of the project is to ensure full use of natural resources with participation of the rural community in the selected micro watershed areas of the state and to increase the productivity of dry farming. Works including natural resources management, forestation, digging of trenches, chal-khal and dug-out ponds are undertaken as part of the project. A total of 82 micro watershed areas located between 700 metres and 2,700 metres altitude have been selected under this project. As per the performance indicators, at present the discharge in the water sources has increased from 12.3 per cent to 22.2 per cent. Further, there has been a 33.2 per cent increase in the productivity of dry farming. Against the target of directly benefitting 40,000 families, this project has benefited a total of 54,948 families with 64 per cent of the beneficiaries being women, informed Grewal. Secretaries Sowjanya and V Shanmugham were also present along with other officials concerned in the meeting.
