Public Outreach-II begins in J&K
*Promotion of tourism, farmers’ welfare reviewed
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Sept 10: Four Union Ministers, who are in Jammu and Kashmir as part of Central Government’s Public Outreach-II that began yesterday and will last nine weeks, today called on Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha in Srinagar and discussed with him the implementation of various schemes under their Ministries in the Union Territory.
Union Minister for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Narendra Singh Tomar and two Ministers of State in the same Ministry –Kailash Choudhary and Sushri Shoba Karandlaje called on Sinha at Raj Bhavan in Srinagar and discussed with him the Central schemes on Agriculture and Farmers which have already been implemented in Jammu and Kashmir and which can be further made applicable in the Union Territory.
Separately, Union Minister of State for Defence and Tourism Ajay Bhatt, who is in Kashmir as part of Public Outreach-II, also called on the Lieutenant Governor at Raj Bhavan.
They were reported to have discussed situation from the defence point of view and promoting tourism sector in Jammu and Kashmir.
Around 70 Central Ministers are scheduled to visit Jammu and Kashmir during Central Government’s Public Outreach-II Programme which started yesterday and will continue for nine weeks. Eight Ministers are scheduled to visit the Union Territory every week.
Sources said during their meetings with the Lieutenant Governor, the visiting Ministers also discussed what more can be done by their Ministries for the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
“Further promotion of tourism in Jammu and Kashmir to attract tourists to the UT reportedly figured during the meeting Ajay Bhatt had with Manoj Sinha,” they added
Bhatt had been appointed as Union Minister of State for Defence and Tourism during Cabinet reshuffle in July and this is his second visit to Jammu and Kashmir after takeover.
Few days back, he had visited the Union Territories of Ladakh and J&K.
As per the sources, the Ministers on their return to New Delhi after visiting different parts of the Union Territory will submit their reports to the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Prime Minister’s Office just like Public Outreach-I in 2020. The MHA and PMO had then forwarded issues raised by the people and pointed out by the Union Ministers in their reports to Jammu and Kashmir for addressing them.
“Some of the issues which pertained to the Central Ministries were addressed by the Government of India while rest were referred to the J&K Government,” sources said.
Expressing confidence that the Public Outreach Programme-II will also prove successful just like the Outreach Programme-I, they said such tours by the Ministers had also proved highly successful in the North East also resulting into redressal of public grievances to quite an extent.
The Public Outreach-II was earlier schedule to take place in the months of July and August but was deferred because of the Monsoon session of Parliament followed by 75th Independence Day celebrations.
It may be mentioned here that during past few days, 16 Parliamentary Standing Committees (PSCs) comprising over 300 Members of Parliament (MPs) have visited the Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh while more PSCs are on way to the two Union Territories.
Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla was also on a week-long tour of Ladakh and Kashmir which concluded on September 2 while a number of Ministers have also visited Leh.
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