Excelsior Correspondent
AKHNOOR, Oct 8: Invoking Dogra identity, senior Congress leader and the Minister for PHE, Irrigation & Flood Control Sham Lal Sharma today reiterated his stand on Regional Council for Jammu and asked people to think beyond playing second fiddle to Kashmir Valley.
“How long Jammu will continue to play second fiddle to Kashmir and only think of the post of Deputy Chief Minister? Why not a Chief Minister from here,” he said amidst applause by the gathering while addressing a largely attended public meeting in the Akhnoor town on Wednesday.
Exhorting Jammu people to unite themselves by rising above party politics and invoking Dogra identity, he reiterated his stand on Regional Council for Jammu. However, at the same time, he sought to clarify that Dogra does not mean Hindus only but Muslims, Sikhs, Christians and other communities livening in Jammu region.
Admitting that he had to face opposition within the party for his bold postures on Regional Council and Hindu Chief Minister, Sham Lal predicted that Jammu leaders would have to admit whatever he said on these issues. “We have to think beyond the party politics and struggle unitedly for better future of Jammu and this is not possible by limiting our vision and approach,” he added.
Highlighting his achievements, the Minister said that during last near about six years, unprecedented development has been witnessed in the State. He said that during this period several projects pertaining in PHE, Irrigation, Education, Health and Power have been taken in hand and completed and some development projects are near about completion. He asked the executive agencies to make optimum use of funds and complete the projects in a time bound manner. He said that further development of hilly and border area was on the top priority of the development agenda of the Government.
He said that development of Akhnoor town is receiving priority in policy planning and various development projects like 100 bedded hospital, mini-secretariat, Degree College, Ayurvedic College, Novodhya Vidyalaya, Jio Pota Gulab Singh library and preservation of Akhnoor Fort and Ambaraian are in full swing.
Referring to works taken up at the right bank of river Chenab including Jio Pota Ghat, he said that the Government is making every effort to restore the pristine glory of heritage sites and steps are being taken to show case those to attract the tourist as well as local. He said a comprehensive plan for Rs 2472 crore for channelization the river Chenab and Rs 1800 for Tawi has been submitted to Central Water Commission for funding.
Sham said that access to safe drinking water and road connectivity is the right of every common masses and the Government is committed to provide these facility to the people.
Vice Chairman, OBC, Kuldeep Raj Verma also spoke on the occasion and called for attitudinal change in the mind set of people to protect the right of women folk in the society so that they can contribute in the socio-economic development of State without any fear and stress. He called for promotion of moral ethics and values in the society.
On the occasion, more than one thousand youth joined Congress and they were welcomed into the party fold by Sham Lal Sharma.
Earlier, the Minister inaugurated extension/renovation park, near Irrigation colony in Akhnoor. The park has been constructed at a cost of Rs 207 lakh by Irrigation division Akhnoor.
He also distributed cheques worth Rs 6 lakh among 902 beneficiaries under old-age and widow pension schemes by the Social Welfare Department.
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