Tribal Affairs Ministry reviews Aspirational District Programme projects in Manipur's Churachandpur

Deputy Secretary in the Ministry of Tribal Affairs, Ganesh Nagaranjan, on June 29 reviewed the implementation of development projects under NITI Aayog's Aspirational District Programme in Manipur's Churachandpur district, with a focus on improving coordination, monitoring and delivery of key welfare initiatives.

Chairing a review meeting at the Deputy Commissioner's Conference Hall in the Mini Secretariat, Nagaranjan assessed the district's progress across 39 Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) under five thematic sectors—Health and Nutrition, Education, Agriculture and Water Resources, Financial Inclusion and Skill Development, and Infrastructure.

The meeting was attended by Deputy Commissioner Krishna Kumar, district officials and representatives of various line departments.

Emphasising the need for timely implementation, Nagaranjan directed departments to strengthen inter-departmental coordination to ensure effective execution of the programme. He stressed the importance of regular monitoring to maintain transparency, meet project timelines and deliver quality outcomes.

He also instructed officials to proactively identify implementation gaps and address them through a coordinated approach. During the interaction, the Deputy Secretary heard grievances and suggestions from officials and assured them that genuine concerns would be taken up with the appropriate authorities. Reiterating the Centre's commitment, he said the programme aims to ensure holistic development of the identified aspirational blocks.

Deputy Commissioner Krishna Kumar assured the visiting official that the district administration would closely monitor the progress of the KPIs and extend full support for effective implementation. He directed the Project Director of the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) to play a more proactive role and stressed the need to improve data entry and reporting under the programme.

Later in the day, Nagaranjan inspected the construction of a specialised health unit for women and children at Lamka South, one of the district's aspirational blocks recognised for its performance under the programme.

He was accompanied by Deputy Commissioner Krishna Kumar, Additional Deputy Commissioner Thangboi Gangte, SDO/BDO Tuibong Jangminlen Lupho, Project Director DRDA Jameson Sehlal Hangsing and officials from various line departments.

Churachandpur district has two aspirational blocks—Lamka South and Tuibong—which have received national-level recognition for their performance under NITI Aayog's Aspirational District Programme.