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INTERNSHIP REPORT

PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT AZAD KASHMIR

Introduction:

At the time of liberation the present area of AJK was most undeveloped part of the State of Jammu &

Kashmir and it remained as such till mid fifties when economic and social development process was

launched though development plan and despite financial constraints efforts were made to provide

sound base for development of area. 

In early sixties a planning cell with some Skelton staff was established in the Finance Department by

the State Government with the aim to focus upon development of area. Later on, the status of this cell

was upgrade on full-fledged department in seventies (1972) with Sardar Muhammad Habib Khan as

its first development Commissioner/Add. Chief Secretary (Dev.). The terms of reference (TORs)of the

development were set forth as below:

a) Improvement of socio economic infrastructure through centralized Planning & Development.

b) Natural Resource Management through participatory approach for the purpose of income generation

and poverty alleviation.

c) Human Resource Development.

d) Provide Social & economic services to the community.

  Functions of P & DD:

1. Planning and Development including policy and procedures. Co-ordination work relating to the preparation of the Annual Development Programme and its review.

1. Execution and processing of all development schemes, programmes and proposals submitted by other Departments including autonomous bodies and making recommendations to Government thereupon; functions of the Development working Party.

2. Maintaining Liaison with the national Planning Agencies.

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3. Dealing with Autonomous and Semi-Autonomous Bodies in regard to development planning programmes and projects in AJ&K.

4. Economic research.

5. Co-ordination of technical assistance.

6. To monitor and evaluate the progress of development schemes and their critical appraisal.

7. Co-ordination of technical assistance from abroad including training facilities expert advisory service and equipment.

8. Co-ordination of training of Local Officers and private sector candidates in foreign countries.

9. Matters relating to the Regional Development projects (AJ&K).

10. Price Stabilization Policy.

11. Protocol functions in connection with visits of foreign economic missions and delegations; etc.

12. Initiation of measures for giving suitable publicity on the results achieved from time to time.

13. Service matters except those entrusted to Services and General administration Department.

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Sections:

Technical Sections:

Transport and Communication / Power Physical Planning & Housing / Local Government & Rural Development Education / Sports youth & Culture Information Technology Industries Health Agriculture Coordination Monitoring and Evaluation / Computer Statistics Social Welfare Foriegn Aid Forest

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Tourism

Attached Departments / Cells

Land Use Planning Environment Gender Mainstreaming PiyaraKashmir (Border Areas Project)

Development Strategy

Access and improvement in quality of education. Upgradation and consolidation of health delivery services. The roads being the most important mode of transportation get priority in dev. initiatives. Rural development through resource management Hydro power generation/rural electrification Tourism development Provision of piped water and sanitation facilities. Information technology (Computer Literacy Programme). Maintenance of created assets.

 

 

Mechanism For Approval Of Development Projects

Line Departments forward proposed projects to Planning & Dev. Department.

After scrutiny, the schemes are placed before the competent fora for approval.

Azad Kashmir Development Working Party (AKDWP) approves projects costing upto Rs. 100 millions and clears schemes for approval of the Azad Kashmir Cabinet Development Committee (AKCDC) costing upto Rs. 400 millions.

The AKCDC clears the schemes for approval of the CDWP/ECNEC costing more than Rs. 400 millions.