Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, June 1: Reaffirming Government’s determination to work vigorously for permanent peace and sustained development in the State, Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah today said that a well defined roadmap is being followed.
He said to reach out all the areas and sections of society, road map is being followed alongwith facilitating the forward movement in the process of restoration of peace and tranquillity.
Talking to different deputations who called on him in his Friday Awami Mulakat here, the Chief Minister said the positive results of the initiatives his Government has started to focus development and peace simultaneously, have started yielding visible results.
“From the day, I assumed the charge of Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, my government’s attention has been on the twin subjects of political addressing of political issues and economic betterment with equitable development of the State,” he said, adding that the last over the three years of the Coalition Government speak itself loudly about the positive developments achieved on both these fronts.
Mr Abdullah said peace was imperative to resolve issues and give necessary fillip to the development process.
He said dividends of peaceful 2011 in the shape of comprehensive and faster development alongwith generation of wide-ranging economic activities are clearly noticeable on ground.
The Chief Minister said his Government has taken historic decisions regarding empowering people, bringing transparency in the functioning of administration, making public delivery time bound and the government answerable before the common masses.
He said the necessary legislations enacted in the last three years to strengthen the institutions and check malpractices and corruption in public dealing have been widely recognised as noteworthy and effective decision of the government.
He said public has been empowered to question all commissions or omissions of the Government departments and ascertain status of financial transactions, physical status of schemes and other performances.
“We have given power to public to demand service delivery within the fixed time frame making administration legally bound to deliver it in a time bound manner or face punishment and fine,” he said and told the people to take best advantage of this path breaking and historic public empowerment initiative put in place by his Government in the shape of Public Service Guarantee Act.
He said any official found failing or showing laxity in delivering the public service to a consumer in six departments of Housing, PHE, Power, CAPD, Revenue and Transport is liable for a fine up to Rs 5000 which shall be deducted from his salary.
“A portion of this fine will be paid to the affected consumer, he said adding that without creating hype his Government is laying strong edifice for strengthening the institutions and empowering public at grass roots to make Government answerable before on all counts.
The Chief Minister said for the first time Third Party Monitoring by independent agencies to ascertain the quality and benefits of the development projects executed and completed by Government departments has been initiated in the State.
E-tendering and e-procurement are other measures introduced to bring transparency in awarding works and making purchases for Government departments.
Mr Omar Abdullah assured the people with the determination of the coalition Government to mitigate their difficulties and upgrade basic amenities across the State under a planned and well defined development policy being presently followed in the State.
He said, administration at all levels has been sensitized to be prompt to public needs and devote fullest attention on redressal of peoples’ grievances on development and socio-economic fronts.
The Chief Minister said his Government has underlined unemployment scenario in the State as top most concern in the development policy.
“First time in the history of Jammu and Kashmir, unemployed youth have been covered under State Voluntary Service.
Presently, over 30,000 youth who have left studies and are without jobs are receiving unemployment allowance while new window of self employment in MSME sector under SKEWPY has been opened for the educated unemployed young persons.
The Chief Minister gave patient hearing to the demands and grievances put forth by various deputations and individuals.
He disposed of various issues giving on spot orders relating to urgent public importance matters while many were referred to the concerned departments for necessary action.
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