Six Flagship Works Completed, Nine Still in Progress
TAUSEEF AHMAD
JAMMU, Jan 5: As part of the Centre’s intensified push to fast-track infrastructure development in Jammu and Kashmir, as many as 15 high-priority projects with a combined investment of ₹1.12 lakh crore are currently being monitored under the Prime Minister’s PRAGATI (Pro-Active Governance and Timely Implementation) platform. Of these, six major projects have been completed, while nine are still under various stages of implementation, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo said on Monday.
Addressing mediapersons in Jammu, Dulloo said these projects are part of a much larger portfolio of centrally sponsored infrastructure initiatives in the Union Territory, many of which had been facing prolonged delays due to land acquisition disputes, environmental and forest clearances, changes in land use, and coordination issues among executing agencies.
Providing a broader overview, the Chief Secretary informed that Jammu and Kashmir has 61 major projects registered on the Centre’s Project Monitoring Group (PMG) portal, involving a cumulative investment of ₹4.12 lakh crore. Out of these, 15 projects worth ₹69,000 crore have already been completed, while the remaining 46 projects, with an estimated cost of ₹3.43 lakh crore, are currently under execution at different levels.
PRAGATI, a digital governance and monitoring platform chaired personally by the Prime Minister, conducts monthly reviews of strategically and economically significant projects to remove bottlenecks, ensure inter-ministerial coordination, and fix accountability among stakeholders. In the case of Jammu and Kashmir, 15 projects have been accorded high-priority status under PRAGATI owing to their importance for regional connectivity, energy security, economic growth and strategic integration.
Officials said that 69 separate issues related to these high-priority projects were taken up during PRAGATI reviews. These issues primarily pertained to land acquisition, environmental approvals, diversion of agricultural land, forest clearances, utility shifting, and construction delays. So far, 57 of these issues—nearly 96 per cent—have been successfully resolved, while the remaining cases are under active consideration and follow-up.
Among the most notable achievements credited to PRAGATI interventions is the completion of the Jammu–Udhampur–Srinagar–Baramulla rail link, a landmark project that had remained stalled for decades after work began in 1995 due to technical, geological and land-related challenges. Officials said sustained monitoring and timely decision-making helped overcome long-standing hurdles.
Similarly, the Kishanganga Hydroelectric Project, along with its associated transmission infrastructure, was completed after persistent issues related to land acquisition and relocation of utilities were addressed through coordinated efforts between central and local agencies. Several critical stretches of National Highway-44, as well as power transmission systems linking Ladakh, also witnessed resolution of pending bottlenecks under the PRAGATI framework.
Despite these gains, nine high-value projects worth around ₹69,000 crore continue to remain under PRAGATI supervision. These include strategically significant initiatives such as the Delhi–Amritsar–Katra Expressway, the Pakal Dul Hydroelectric Project, and the expansion of 4G mobile connectivity across Jammu and Kashmir under the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF).
Officials expressed confidence that with continued monitoring at the highest level, the remaining projects would also see accelerated progress, helping to strengthen connectivity, boost power generation, improve digital access, and drive overall economic development in the Union Territory.
