Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 18 : To take stock of the problems of the people and ensure speedy disposal of these, Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand along with high level team of district officers today visited far-flung border areas.
In the daylong whirlwind tour series of public meeting were held at Naiwala, Laham, Kotmaira, Khunda, Nandwal, Channi Mana, Nikkian, Marchangi and Khour.
District Development Commissioner, Jammu Sanjeev Verma, Superintendent Engineers of PWD(R&B) and PHE along with other senior sectoral officers and engineers of different departments accompanied the tour.
While addressing gathering of people at Naiwala, Mr. Tara Chand said, “Government is alive to the requirements of people living in border and rural far-off belts of the State and exemplary development initiatives have been taken up in order to equip these areas with all required infrastructure.”
“Coalition Government with active support from the Central Government has launched mega infrastructure projects in the State and completion of these prestigious projects would effectively address development aspirations of the people of the State,” he added.
He said border migrant colony, Naiwala is one among the many steps taken for the rehabilitation of border migrants and over 6100 families have been accommodated in the colony.
Responding to the demands of potable water and regular power supply in the colony, he directed the concerned engineers to ensure that inhabitants get required supply of potable water and if need be tankers may be pressed into service. He called upon authorities to augment the existing water resources and explore possibilities of new measures to meet the requirements of 450 families presently residing in the colony.
At Laham and Kotmaira meeting, the Deputy Chief Minister said in order to equip rural belts of the area with modern infrastructure two cluster model village projects have been launched at Pargwal and Pallanwala. He said in order to address the health requirements of over 31 villages of Pallanwala cluster model village Rs 30 lakh have been sanctioned for a mobile dispensary and within a fortnight the same would start serving the people.
He sanctioned a community hall for the twin villages and asked the DDC to get the estimates prepared for the hall, to be funded under CDF. Directions were issued to SE, PHE to bore 15 shallow hand pumps and install Public Supply Points as per the need of the area.
Ten cheques were distributed to beneficiaries under IAY and local panchayat representatives were asked to play proactive role to ensure that names of all genuine BPL families get registered in the fresh BPL survey.
Laying stress on maintaining quality standards, Mr. Tara Chand emphasized on undertaking routine inspections to keep a check on pilferage and to ensure use of quality material in development works undertaken by the department, adding that durable infrastructure can only be created when proper standards are maintained in work execution.
People at Khunda, Nandwal and Channi Mana rallies projected demands of their respective areas which inter alia include, up gradation of roads, staff requirements of schools, demand for college and employment opportunities for youth.
Taking note of the demands, the Deputy Chief Minister directed the PWD authorities to start road and cross drainage works as early as possible and informed that 106 Kanals of land at Nai-Basti has been identified for Degree College, Khour, foundation stone of which would be laid soon.
He said over 650 vacancies have been identified and recruitment process for them would be fast tracked, adding that candidates selected under RBA and ALC category have to serve in these areas for initial seven years of their service.
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