Muzaffarabad: The Prime Minister of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Iftikhar Gilani, has said that the Clean Kashmir Program would soon be launched across all districts of AJK. Chairing a meeting of the Local Government and Rural Development Department, the Prime Minister said that a transparent and merit-based recruitment process would be initiated to fill vacant posts in the Local Government Department through a reputable third party. The department, he said, plays a crucial role in public service delivery and infrastructure development at the grassroots level. He noted that elected local government representatives were also an integral part of the local government system and directed the authorities to ensure the timely completion of development projects in accordance with prescribed standards. The Prime Minister also stressed the need for practical measures to strengthen sanitation and solid waste management systems. He directed the department to formulate actionable proposals for reforms in local government institutions operating at a loss. He said the annual development program of the Local Government Department would be enhanced in consultation with the Planning and Development Department, stressing that there would be no compromise on the pace and quality of development projects. On this occasion, Secretary of Local Government and Rural Development Irshad Ahmed Qureshi briefed the Prime Minister on the department’s development program, budget, and the government’s 100-day plan. Qureshi told the meeting that the development budget for the department for the financial year 2025-26 stood at Rs3.2 billion, which included Rs725 million for PC-I projects and Rs2.474 billion for non-PC-I projects. About the government’s 100-day plan, he said that the plan included the provision of clean drinking water under the Clean Kashmir Program, district-level waste management, procurement of a modern waste-management fleet, recycling and segregation of solid waste, and construction of bridges. The Secretary also briefed the Prime Minister on the budgetary position of local government institutions for 2025-26, including the income and expenditure of District Councils, Municipal Corporations, Municipal Committees, and Town Committees. He sought the prime minister’s guidance on reforms in these institutions and presented proposals for improving solid waste management and sanitation services. The meeting was attended by Principal Secretary Sardar Adnan Khurshid, Secretary of Local Government and Rural Development. Irshad Qureshi, Director General; Tahir Ashraf, Secretary Local Government Board Ashfaq Noor, Chief Engineer Niaz Kayani, Chief Planning Officer; Khawaja Masood, Deputy Director; Babar Minhas, Director of the Board; Qazi Iftikhar; and other concerned officers.
