Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, July 18: Calling for a collective effort to get the State back on course, Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti today asked the administration to reach out to the people to mitigate their sufferings.
“The Government is taking various measures to restore calm and it needs support of every section of the society to normalize the situation to end the miseries of the people,” she said while speaking at a high-level meeting of the Administrative Secretaries convened here today to review the situation on the governance front.
Mehbooba said besides loss of precious human lives and injuries to scores, the local economy, especially the tourism sector and education have taken a big hit because of the prevailing law and order situation and it is the responsibility of the every section of the society including the political leaders, media, the religious heads, the business community, the prominent citizens and especially the emancipated youth to rise to the occasion and help the Government in restoring peace and normalcy in the Kashmir.
The Chief Minister said the Ministers and other Government functionaries have been asked to reach out to the people and work with the local civil society groups for speedy restoration of peace and normalcy in the affected areas so that the public don’t face any hardships.
Asking officers to lead from the front in reaching out to the people and mitigating their problems, she stressed the need for infusing new life in the institutions at the cutting edge level to address developmental concerns of the public.
She said unemployment is a matter of grave concern and every section of the society including individuals, institutions and organizations, have to be brought together in a spirit of creative enterprise to widen the economic and employment space for the State’s youth and channelize their energies productively.
Mehbooba said the Government is responsive to the people’s needs and concerned about their problems and is working judiciously and in a transparent manner to fulfil their aspirations and expectations. She made it clear that her priority is the people and not politics or power.
“As long as I am here I would spend every day in mitigating the sufferings of the people,” she said and added that she would like her officers to become partners in this enterprise of hope so that the people get to feel the real change.
Emphasizing upon strict implementation of the rule of law, she called for keeping a strict vigil on the activities of the anti-social elements, who under the garb of law and order situation indulge in encroachments and misuse of state’s resources.
Principal Secretary Home R K Goyal briefed the meeting about the overall law and order situation and the steps being taken to restore normalcy in the Valley. He said the situation has stabilized in most of the districts and except for some sporadic incidents of protests and stone-pelting, the overall law and order scenario has improved substantially.
While taking a review of the condition of injured and availability of medicines and other equipment in hospitals, the Chief Minister was informed by the Commissioner / Secretary Health and Medical Education Department Dr Mandeep K Bhandari that out of the 2115 persons injured during the prevailing law and order situation, 1924 have been discharged from the hospitals while 191 are still undergoing treatment including 70 persons with eye injuries. He said these figures were upto 11 am today and with the discharging of more injured persons, the figures of injured still admitted in hospitals may further come down by the evening.
The meeting was informed that there are adequate quantities of blood, medicines and other requisite facilities available for the injured in all the hospitals and no patient needs to be shifted outside the State for treatment.
The Chief Minister directed that besides providing free medicines and other requisites to the patients, the attendants should be also given free food by the Government.
Regarding the education sector, the Chief Minister was informed that the Government will take a review of the decision on the reopening of the educational institutions with the stabilization of the situation.
Mehbooba also took a review of the stock and supply position, sanitation, dredging of river Jhelum, transportation of fruit, power and drinking water supply position.
Regarding supply of essential commodities, the meeting was informed that there are enough stocks of ration and petroleum products including LPG available in Kashmir and truckloads of ration and other supplies are being transported from Jammu to meet the future requirement. The meeting was informed that the Fair Price Shops have been opened in most of the areas to ensure that the people don’t face any inconvenience for want of rations.
The Chief Minister asked the Secretary Horticulture and Secretary Transport to ensure hassle-free movement of trucks for exporting fruit to various markets outside the State.
The Chief Minister also enquired about the status of the SRO-43 cases. She was informed that 177 cases have been approved for appointment while the remaining cases will be approved within the next couple of days.
The Chief Minister said that there should be no let up in the pace of development in the areas where the situation is normal, especially in Jammu region. She also called for submitting proposals for Rs 80000 crore PM’s Developmental Package for Jammu and Kashmir.
Chief Secretary B R Sharma, Financial Commissioner, Planning B B Vyas and Principal Secretary to CM Navin K Choudhary also attended the meeting among others.
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