SRINAGAR: NITI Aayog Member Dr N Srinivas on Thursday reviewed major development projects and sectoral initiatives in Jammu and Kashmir, calling for stronger institutional collaboration, effective implementation and focused efforts to accelerate economic growth.
Chairing a review meeting at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) here in the presence of Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo and senior officials, Srinivas said the focus in Jammu and Kashmir had shifted from safety and security to growth and development.
He said the changing development landscape required greater emphasis on outcomes, implementation and coordination among institutions and governments.
Stressing the importance of cooperative and competitive federalism, Srinivas said NITI Aayog could bring different stakeholders together and facilitate the adoption of successful practices in other areas. He asked departments to identify specific requirements where policy, institutional or technical support from the think tank could be useful.
Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo highlighted agriculture and horticulture, food processing, industry, tourism, research and development, skill development and MSMEs as key areas for accelerating economic activity in the Union Territory.
Dulloo stressed the need to focus on high-value, low-volume products such as apple, walnut, cherry and almond, along with greater processing and value addition within J&K. He said investment in facilities for processing apple juice and other products could help increase farmers’ incomes and strengthen the local economic ecosystem.
He also called for stronger research and development by leveraging universities and focused skill development programmes to create a workforce suited to emerging opportunities.
On industrial growth, Dulloo stressed strengthening the MSME ecosystem and leveraging the New Central Sector Scheme (NCSS) to attract investment. He also identified tourism as a key driver of economic activity and called for greater opportunities for local businesses and entrepreneurs.
The Chief Secretary also stressed stronger institutional partnerships, including with IIM Jammu, particularly for using industry data and supporting evidence-based policy interventions. He called for promoting small businesses and development-oriented units at the district level so that the benefits of investment reach different parts of the Union Territory.
The meeting reviewed major infrastructure and development projects covering road and rail connectivity, power and hydropower, drinking water, agriculture and allied sectors, industry, tourism, health, education, and urban and rural development.
The review covered major connectivity projects, including the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway, Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, semi-ring roads and other National Highway projects. Progress on 18 new highway projects sanctioned by the Centre during 2025-26 was also discussed.
Under PMGSY and NABARD, 1,074 projects estimated at Rs 4,967.69 crore have been approved since 2021-22. Of these, 467 have been completed and 607 are under implementation.
The power sector review noted that hydropower projects with a combined capacity of 3,014 MW and an investment of Rs 22,207 crore are under way. These projects are expected to generate around 5,800 million units of electricity annually. J&K is working towards doubling its hydropower generation capacity by 2028.
Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, rural household tap-water coverage has risen from 31 per cent at the beginning of the mission to 81 per cent, with 901 villages certified as Har Ghar Jal.
The Jammu & Kashmir Competitiveness Improvement of Agriculture & Allied Project, with an outlay of around Rs 1,800 crore, is being implemented across 90 blocks and is expected to benefit around three lakh households.
The meeting was also informed that J&K recorded investment realisation of Rs 5,824.42 crore during 2025-26, the highest in a financial year as per the presentation. Investment worth Rs 1,635 crore had been realised during the current financial year up to July 2026.
In healthcare, the meeting reviewed the operationalisation of AIIMS Jammu and the progress of AIIMS Kashmir, which was reported to be 75 per cent complete. The number of Health and Wellness Centres has risen to 3,175, while 530 ambulances have been networked under the 102-108 emergency service.
In education, the review covered the operationalisation of IIT Jammu and IIM Jammu, expansion of higher education infrastructure and an increase in professional and nursing seats. Digital learning infrastructure, including smart classrooms, virtual reality laboratories and ICT laboratories, was also discussed.
Urban and rural development schemes, including the Smart Cities Mission, AMRUT, Swachh Bharat Mission, PMAY-U and PMAY-G, were reviewed. Under PMAY-G, 3.27 lakh houses have been completed out of 3.35 lakh sanctioned houses.
The review also covered digital governance initiatives, including e-Office, online delivery of government services, digitisation of revenue records and grievance redressal through the JK SAMADHAN platform.
