Lucknow: In a major move to assess the actual progress of development work in Uttar Pradesh, the state government has directed high-level physical verifications across all 75 districts. As part of this initiative, an Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer has been appointed as the nodal officer for each district. These officers will conduct field inspections of two key infrastructure projects worth over ₹50 crore, along with comprehensive assessments under the Jal Jeevan Mission.
The inspection drive is scheduled for May 24 and 25, with nodal officers required to submit detailed reports to Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh by May 26, according to an official order issued by Amrita Soni, Chief Staff Officer to the Chief Secretary.
Key Focus Areas–
- Physical verification of two development projects in each district, each costing more than ₹50 crore.
- Review of progress under the Jal Jeevan Mission, particularly the Har Ghar Nal Yojana (tap water to every household).
- Inspection of Gau-Aashray Sthal (cattle shelter homes), as part of rural development and animal welfare efforts.
Objectives–
The initiative aims to ensure transparency, assess on-ground implementation, and address discrepancies between reported progress and actual status. This is being seen as a step towards improving accountability and governance in infrastructure delivery.
Nodal Officers and Their Assigned Districts:
Some of the key assignments include:
- Dr. Rupesh Kumar – Prayagraj
- Bhawani Singh Khangarot – Fatehpur
- Vijay Kiran Anand – Varanasi
- Gaurav Verma – Chandauli
- Divya Prakash Giri – Ghazipur
- Jai Shankar Dubey – Sonbhadra
- Krishna Kumar Gupta – Bhadohi
- Sheeldhar Yadav – Ballia
- Dr. Arvind Kumar Chourasiya – Kushinagar
- Ritu Maheshwari – Lucknow
- B Chandrakala – Rae Bareli
- Chaitra V – Hardoi
- Selva Kumari J – Unnao
- Kinjal Singh – Sitapur
- Markandey Shahi – Jhansi
- Brijesh Narayan Singh – Agra
- Kumar Prashant – Mathura
- Dr. Ujjwal Kumar – Bijnor
- Avnish Krishna Singh – Meerut
- Saheb Singh – Gautam Buddha Nagar
- Rajesh Prakash – Saharanpur
- Girjesh Kumar Tyagi – Muzaffarnagar
Government’s Message
Chief Secretary Manoj Kumar Singh emphasized the importance of the initiative, stating that “real-time assessment is essential to bridge the gap between policy and public benefit.” He reiterated that strict action would follow if any irregularities or delays are found.
Background
The Jal Jeevan Mission is one of the flagship programs under the central and state government’s joint initiative to ensure safe and adequate drinking water through tap connections in rural households by 2024. The program has seen rapid expansion in recent years, but concerns remain over execution quality and maintenance in several regions.
The government’s decision to directly involve senior IAS officers is being seen as a strong signal of intent to ensure that infrastructure development aligns with both timelines and quality expectations.
