Excelsior Correspondent
KISHTWAR, Apr 29: Minister for Social Welfare, Forests, Ecology and Environment Bali Bhagat on the first day of his five days visit to the twin districts of Doda and Kishtwar today held wayside series of public meetings enroute from Batote to Kishtwar and redressed the grievances of the people by giving onspot directions to the concerned authorities.
In a public meeting at Kishtwar, Bali Bhagat said that the Coalition Government is committed to redress the grievances of the people at their doorsteps and in this direction some innovative steps have already been taken by the Government.
The Minister was accompanied by Minister of State for PWD (R&B) and Revenue Sunil Sharma who in detail presented the issues and the demands of the people pertaining to Forest and Social Welfare Department before Mr. Bhagat which include forest clearance on various ongoing roads, setting up of Forest Research Institute in Kishtwar, regularization of daily waged employees engaged in the Forest Department since decades etc. Mr. Bhagat assured that all the issues raised will be redressed on priority.
Responding to the demand of pending old age and widow pensions in Social Welfare Department, Bali Bhagat said that the Central Government has sanctioned Rs. 86 crores which will mitigate the problem of long pendency in the pension cases. He also said that the Ministry has taken some innovative steps to simplify the required formalities for claiming widow and old age pension such as authorizing Chowkidar to issue death certificate, fixing the responsibility of Tehsil Social Welfare Officer to send the applications of all pensioners to Tehsildar for the issuance of income certificates among others.
Expressing concern over encroachment on approximate 2.5 lakh kanal forest land in the state, the Minister expressed optimism in removing the encroachments and he announced that nearly 900 kanals forest land have been vacated by the Forest Department till date. He also reiterated the commitment of the department to stop the smuggling of forest timber and other minor forest produce and said that help line emails , fax numbers and phone numbers have already been notified as result of which around 1300 sleepers worth Rs. 2 crore were recently seized by the Forest Department.
Earlier, MoS PWD (R&B) and Revenue Sunil Sharma said that to mitigate the problem of the water shortage in the Kishtwar town additional two water lift which will supply about 4 lac gallons drinking water to the town will be reality by the end of the August 2015. To provide the public services at doorsteps, Mr. Sharma said that a scheme to issue PRC, RBA and caste certificates in the Government Schools has been started in the Kishtwar District on pilot basis expressing concern over certain defunct Government schools in the district.
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