Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Apr 22 : Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh today discussed COVID related issues with Councillors/Corporators from across the Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir.
In a one-and-half hour long video conference interaction, Dr. Jitendra Singh exchanged inputs with representatives of different Municipal bodies. Prominent among those who presented their views included Chandra Mohan Gupta, Mayor Jammu, Hilal Shah from Anantnag, Dr Ishey from Leh, Naresh Kumar from Kathua, Vijay Kumar Sharma from Hiranagar, Riyaz Ahmad Mir from Kupwara, Dr Yogeshwar Gupta from Udhampur, Umakant Basotra from Billawar, Dr Shahid Mughal from Bhadarwah, Ved Prakash from Doda, Sudesh Puri from Reasi, Mohd Arif from Rajouri, Shashi Kumar and Ajay Baru from Katra, Rayaz from Kishtwar, S. Ravinder Singh from Batote and Amit Thakur from Ramban.
At the outset, Dr. Jitendra Singh complimented the elected representatives of all the Municipal bodies for ensuring perfect coordination between civil society and the administration for effective implementation of Government’s guidelines regarding COVID-19 crisis management and offering their full cooperation in ensuring lockdown. He said, he was particularly delighted to note that District Collectors and Deputy Commissioners from different districts were voluntarily expressing their appreciation for the cooperation received from the local body representatives.
With some relaxation having been gradually made despite lockdown, Dr. Jitendra Singh said, the major challenge now is going to be the return movement of people from Jammu & Kashmir living in other parts of the country who wish to come back to their homes or those from other parts of the country including the labourers who are keen to move back to their respective States. He said, he has been receiving numerous requests from students from Jammu & Kashmir who are residing in different parts of the country as well as their parents back home.,
Dr. Jitendra Singh elicited the cooperation of the public representatives, particularly the local body representatives who had grassroot contact, to explain to the people that the movement and return can happen only in small groups and in a very strategised and discreet manner. He said, we cannot take any risk in haste and added that there is an inference to be drawn from district Kathua which was so far Corona-free inspite of huge influx of people from both sides after the declaration of lockdown, but suddenly reported a Corona positive case last evening when a person working in Maharashtra chose to return to his village in Hiranagar without following the prescribed guidelines.
Dr. Jitendra Singh said, all of us are keen that people held up in different places should unite with their families but appealed for cooperation in this regard. However, he said, adequate arrangements are being made to provide all requirements to these people in whichever part of the country they are residing and soon after an information is received about their problems, the local district authorities there establish contact with the group of people.
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