Jammu, Jan 6 (Reporter) Presenting his report card, All Jammu and Kashmir Panchayat Conference (AJKPC) President Anil Sharma said Jandrah Panchayat was the only grassroots level institution where projects worth more than Rs 17 Crore were initiated and executed during the last five years. With Panchayats in Jammu and Kashmir completing their five-year term next week, there has been a complete turnaround on account of building infrastructure, overall development and ensuring 100 percent saturation in providing benefits of all centrally-sponsored schemes to the natives of Panchayat Halqa Jandrah in block Dansal of Jammu district for the period. The inclusive development in Panchayat Jandrah, being represented by Anil Sharma during the last five years, is the testimony to the vibrancy in grassroots level institutions in the Union Territory and it is a role model for other Panchayats and their representatives to follow. The Panchayat has also attained distinction of being a corruption-free and Open Defecation Free (ODF) Panchayat in Jammu district where the accountability and transparency have turned out to be a major hallmark of the system. “Efforts have been made to uplift the living standards of people in the village by ensuring quality infrastructure, roads, water supply and electricity, apart from ensuring 100 percent saturation in providing benefits of all centrally-sponsored schemes to local people of Jandrah,” Sharma said, adding “the projects, which were hanging in limbo for the past several years, were taken up and completed with the active support of the people”. The AJKPC Chief said, “The entire area used to face the problem of drinking water and an initiative was taken to ensure regular water supply. We managed to bring water supply schemes, including PHE and NABARD, worth Rs 8.5 crore in the last five years that has helped us to settle the drinking water shortage problem once for all.” In the last five years the drinking water shortage problem at Devak Sathan Shiv Mandir and Cremation Ground have been settled. In the power sector, six 100 KVA transformers, one transformer having capacity of 250 KVA and about 400 LT and HT poles (both PCC and steel poles) with a total cost of Rs 1.5 crore have been installed in the Panchayat, he said, “Road projects hanging fire for the past decades have taken up after getting funds worth Rs 50 lakh approved under Non-Plan from Public Works Department. Besides, the black-topping works under Capex budget worth Rs one crore were also executed that changed the landscape of the entire village”. Under SAMGRA program, the Panchayat has been able to build a two-storey building worth Rs 65 lakh in the premises of Government Higher Secondary School (GHSS) Jandrah, the AJKPC President said, adding “We also made a big stride in creating employment for local people under MGNREA scheme in the Panchayat where works worth Rs 1.10 crore were completed”. The local Sarpanch said, “Under Prime Minister Awas Yojna (PMAY) (Grameen), we managed to get 78 cases of providing cemented houses to poor and needy people approved with an estimated cost of Rs 1.014 crore. Similarly, we brought funds worth Rs 81 lakh under 13th and 14th Finance Commissions for overall development and creating infrastructure in the Panchayat. We also made an expenditure of Rs 62 lakh under PRI Capex budget for raising infrastructure in Jandrah Panchayat”. “With our initiatives, we have been able to construct six ponds in the village under Integrated Watershed Management Program (IWMP) with an estimated cost of Rs 50 lakh. Besides, we also expended funds worth Rs 12.5 lakh under CD Panchayat category,” Sharma said. He said, “In nutshell, Jandrah Panchayat has witnessed grand spectacle of development and infrastructure building during the last five years. It is now marching on the path of progress and its success story is an inspiration for other Panchayats to follow in coming years”. Sharma expressed his gratitude to the people of his Panchayat for reposing faith on him and extended whole-hearted support for carrying out unprecedented development in the Panchayat...////...