![Union Minister in PMO, Dr Jitendra Singh with children of flood hit Saddal village during inauguration of hutments at Panjar, Udhampur on Friday. Union Minister in PMO, Dr Jitendra Singh with children of flood hit Saddal village during inauguration of hutments at Panjar, Udhampur on Friday.](https://cdndailyexcelsior.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/page336.jpg)
Excelsior Correspondent
UDHAMPUR, Jan 23: Union Minister of State in PMO with independent charge of North Eastern States, Dr Jitendra Singh today dedicated 27 hutments to flood and landslide victims of Saddal village at Panjar in Udhampur district. The village has been adopted by Dr Jitendra Singh and the hutments were constructed under Project Aasha by him in close coordination with Love Care Foundation and Concentrix India.
The hutments were dedicated to the people by Dr Singh in presence of DC Udhampur, Yasha Mudgal, SSP, Udhampur, Mohammed Suliman, Associate Director HR, Concentrix, Raj Nehru, Sanjoo Daddroo, National Director for Love Care Foundation, Prabhakant Jain, Manager CSR, DS Group and other prominent citizens including BJP senior leader Moti Kaul.
Earlier talking to reporters at Jammu soon after his arrival from New Delhi, Dr Jitendra Singh said it will be a first smart village in the State and country to be built on the ruins of flood ravaged village.
It may be recalled that during September last year 40 people of village Saddal were buried alive after land slides due to flash floods and heavy rainfall in the State. Some residential houses also collapsed and buried in the ground as 121 families of the village lost their houses.
Dr Singh said that inspired by Prime Minister’s smart city concept the Panjar village has been adopted to rebuilt a smart village and in the first instance 56 hutments will be constructed in the area to refugee the flood victims.
This will be followed by starting the work on the construction of smart village which will be completed in 18 months and it will cater to the population of 5000 of Panjar village. The smart village will have all the basic facilities of life like school, vocational centre, comprising of a computer centre, tailoring and knitting and mobile repairing centre. It will be an example of a first ever smart village in the State, he added.
He said Rs 13 lakh were released for vocational Centre while Rs 50 lakh were provided for construction of hutments.
Dr Singh said out of 120 families hit by the land slides 40 will be accommodated in the hutments while for rest the construction is on.
He also congratulated the Concentrix India and Love Care Foundation for their work and dedication.
Dr Singh in collaboration with the two organizations also distributed 50 solar lights, chimneys, gas stoves and blankets among the affected people on the occasion.
Meanwhile Love Care Foundation, expressed its gratitude to Ms Yasha Mudgal, Deputy Commissioner, Udhampur for her support that made this project successful. The principal sponsor for this project has been DS Group whose support has made it possible to complete this project in record time. The other corporate supporters are Concentrix, Fanuc India and Bhushan Power & Steel whose generous support has greatly helped in the completion of these hutments.
Raj Nehru, Associate Director HR of Concentrix said “we will leverage technology driven programs and skill development interventions in the village to facilitate the ‘smart village’ concept that will improve the employability status by enabling self sustainability among the youth”.