Rural infrastructure is where development becomes visible to ordinary people. A sanctioned project may look impressive in an official file, but for a farmer waiting for irrigation, a family needing safe drinking water or a village seeking reliable road connectivity, only completion matters. Jammu and Kashmir’s sizeable portfolio under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund therefore carries both enormous promise and an equally serious responsibility.
According to figures placed before the government’s High Powered Committee, 908 projects involving cumulative loan assistance of ₹4,303.08 crore have been sanctioned under RIDF Tranches XXVIII to XXXI. Of this amount, ₹2,301.48 crore has been disbursed so far. Government data further shows that 157 projects have been completed, while 751 remain under execution. The scale is impressive, but with such a large number of works still underway, the administration must now make timely completion its central priority. The Public Works Department alone accounts for 660 projects involving ₹2,987.25 crore, making roads and connectivity the dominant component of the programme. This investment can change the everyday reality of remote communities. A reliable rural road connects farmers with markets, children with schools, patients with hospitals and villages with wider economic opportunities. But these benefits arrive only when roads are completed on time and built to standards capable of surviving difficult weather and terrain. According to official figures, the Jal Shakti Department is implementing 36 projects worth ₹491.93 crore, while the Agriculture Production Department has 110 projects involving ₹414.27 crore. Another 19 horticulture projects account for ₹104.52 crore, 63 projects in Animal and Sheep Husbandry and Fisheries involve ₹190.14 crore, and 20 Health and Medical Education projects carry assistance of ₹114.97 crore. These numbers reveal how deeply RIDF financing reaches into the rural economy. Irrigation, agriculture, horticulture, livestock, fisheries, healthcare and drinking water are not isolated sectors. Together, they determine whether a village can become economically stronger and whether rural families can access basic services without travelling long distances. The Chief Secretary’s direction to departments to maintain a ready shelf of projects complete with Administrative Approval and Technical Sanction is therefore practical and necessary. Departments should not lose months preparing documentation after funding becomes available. Projects must enter a new RIDF tranche ready for appraisal and execution. At the same time, the administration must be firm where delays arise from avoidable departmental shortcomings. Slow tendering, incomplete clearances, weak coordination or inadequate supervision cannot be allowed to consume valuable construction seasons. Jammu and Kashmir’s terrain already imposes limitations on execution. Administrative delay should not add another. The proposal for district-level monitoring committees under Deputy Commissioners can provide stronger oversight. Such committees should not become another layer of meetings. They should be empowered to identify obstacles, fix responsibility and report measurable progress against deadlines. Quality must receive the same attention as speed. A road that deteriorates shortly after completion or a water scheme that fails to deliver regularly represents wasted public investment. Field inspections, technical audits and transparent monitoring should accompany every major project. The government deserves credit for undertaking a detailed review of an RIDF portfolio exceeding ₹4,300 crore and insisting on administrative preparedness, accountability and field monitoring. But the figures also deliver a clear message. With 751 of 908 sanctioned projects still under execution, the focus must shift decisively from approvals to outcomes.
The true success of RIDF will not be ₹4,303.08 crore sanctioned or ₹2,301.48 crore disbursed. It will be measured by durable roads, dependable water, productive farms, stronger rural livelihoods and better public services. Jammu and Kashmir now needs relentless monitoring and timely execution so that every sanctioned crore becomes a functioning asset on the ground. Moreover, the J&K Government should now focus firmly on completing ongoing RIDF projects through strict timelines, district-level monitoring, regular field inspections and stronger technical audits. Departments must resolve clearances before sanctions, prevent cost escalation and ensure quality construction. Every project should be publicly tracked so that rural communities receive durable roads, reliable water, productive irrigation and better essential services.