Excelsior Correspondent
RAJOURI, June 8: Minister of State for Health, Shabir Ahmad Khan has said that the economic welfare of far-flung and backward areas is the top priority of the Government and special schemes to uplift the rural and backward areas have started yielding positive results.
Addressing a public meetings at border villages Paprara, Thandikasi and Sadyal in Manjakot Block, the Minister said Government’s priority is to upgrade communication, education and health cover in these areas and extend assistance to help generate economic activities and give fillip to education and health care facilities, adding that the Government would continue to give special attention to achieve the targeted goals of development in these areas.
Reiterating the commitment of the State Government towards holistic development of all the regions of the State with special focus on border and hilly areas, the Minister said the Government’s pro-people policies and exemplary initiatives have placed the State on the track of peace and prosperity. He affirmed that this would be carried forward with a mission to ensure all-round development of rural as well as border areas.
The Minister said the initiatives taken by the Government during the past over four years towards bringing accountability and transparency in the administration is worth appreciating. “The Right to Information Act, Public Service Guarantee Act, holding of free and fair Panchayat elections were the landmark steps taken by the Government in improving governance structure in the State,” he said.
Highlighting the priorities under health sector, the Minister said that all such areas having difficult topography would be provided health center facilities. He said in this regard the Government has already moved a proposal to the Centre for approval of funds.
The Health Minister said the Government has launched several health welfare Schemes in the State under NRHM which guarantees quality health care facilities to the people especially living in remote and hilly areas. He said ‘Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakaram’ (MaaTuje Salaam) is successfully operating in the State and providing cashless service to the pregnant women and neonates, adding that during last fiscal over 1.25 lakh pregnant women and 90,000 neonates benefited under this Scheme.
Referring to the development of Rajouri, the Minister enumerated several measures taken for holistic development of the district. He said besides up gradation of infrastructure under core sectors, the varied tourism potential of the area receives focused attention adding that work on model village Thanamandi, Shadara Sharief Baitul Zaireen, Guest house and eco-tourism infrastructure at Dara-ki-gali and en route to historical Mughal road is apace, adding that construction work of Tourist Reception Center Shadara Sharief has been recently completed.
He assured the people that all their genuine demands and developmental needs would be mitigated in due course of time.
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