Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Sept 16: Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control, Sham Lal Choudhary, today chaired a meeting to review the preparedness of the administration to deal with any exigency in the wake of prevailing situation in border villages.
SDM, RS Pura, Naresh Kumar, SDPO, RS Pura Surinder Choudhary, officers of Power Development Department, PWD (R&B), Rural Development Department, Public Health Engineering, Irrigation & Flood Control, Agriculture, Horticulture, Revenue, Social Welfare, Animal Husbandry and other departments were present in the meeting.
The Minister convened the meeting after he had an interaction with the villagers, who lost their livestock in the recent cross border firing in Sai. He inspected the community bunkers in the village and asked the law enforcement agencies to remain on high alert and take swift action, if any emergency arises.
Sham Choudhary directed the Health Department to station ambulances at Sai, Arnia and Baspur and keep their staff alert for dealing with any contingency. The Animal Husbandry Department was also asked to provide free medicines to people whose livestock is injured in the firing.
The Minister enquired from the RDD about the condition of community bunkers in the villages and directed that power, water and sanitation facilities should be ensured in these bunkers. He was informed that community bunkers have been constructed at Mullachak, Devigarh, Nikowal, Sai Khurd, Sai Kalan, Jajowal, Korotana, Flora, Gharana and Abdullian.
The Minister directed SDM, RS Pura to identify the places for setting up of temporary shelters and inform the people about the facility so that they can get safe havens at the time of emergency.
He was informed that temporary shelters would be setup at Bana Singh Stadium, Boys Higher Secondary School RS Pura, Girls Higher Secondary School Miran Sahib, ITI RS Pura, Boys Higher Secondary School Kotli Shah Doula, Govt High School Chohala, Boys Middle School purana Pind, Social Welfare Complex RS Pura, City Middle School RS Pura, Rameshwar Dham Kotli Gala Bana, Boys Middle School and Girls Middle School at Mill Area, RS Pura.
The Minister further directed the PWD (R&B) to speed up macadamize work on the roads leading from Chak Devangarh to Bulla Chak and Chakrohi to Jora Farm as they lead to the most vulnerable villages in Suchetgarh.
The Executive Engineer, PWD (R&B) informed that macadamization works on more than 52 km have been taken up in Suchetgarh.
In the meeting, CDPO RS Pura Jasmeet Singh informed the Minister that 391 Anganwadi Centres are functional in the area and more than 14,000 families are taking the benefit of various social welfare schemes of the department.