Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, July 4: Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today categorically ruled out setting up of Chenab Valley Hill Development Council but announced major initiative for development of the Valley comprising three districts of Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban, which formed part of erstwhile Doda district by announcing setting up of exclusive Chenab Valley Development Fund (CVDF) for development and upliftment of the area and generate employment opportunities.
He also announced an ambitious plan by the Government to attract tourists from Himachal Pradesh to Bhaderwah via Chamba-Bhaderwah road by developing tourist places on the area and generating road network and other infrastructure. He approved Rs 40 lakh special package for development of Bhaderwah-Bhalessa-Jai tourist circuit in Doda district and Rs 50 lakh for beautification of Doda town.
These announcements were made by Mufti Sayeed while presiding over the meetings of the District Development Boards (DDBs) of Doda and Kishtwar districts at Doda today. Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh, Forests and Social Welfare Minister Bali Bhagat, chairman of Kishtwar DDB and Animal Husbandry Minister Sajjad Ghani Lone, chairman of Doda DDB attended the meeting among others.
With today’s meetings of the DDBs, the DDB meetings of all 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir (10 districts each) have concluded. Leh and Kargil districts in Ladakh didn’t have the DDBs as they have autonomous Hill Development Councils.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the Chief Minister announced special package of Rs 50 lakh for beautification of Doda town.
On the demand raised by Congress MLA from Inderwal Ghulam Mohammad Saroori in the Kishtwar DDB for setting up of Chenab Valley Hill Development Council for development and betterment of the three districts, Mufti Sayeed rejected the demand but announced setting up of the Chenab Valley Development Fund. “Such a demand can’t be met,’’ Sayeed told Saroori.
Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh endorsed the Chief Minister’s rejection of the demand for the Council.
Sources, however, said the Chief Minister announced setting up of special Chenab Valley Development Funds (CVDF), which would help the mountain locked and remote districts of Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban to grow rapidly and match infrastructure of other districts. Entire Chenab Valley has very poor road network and other facilities.
“While the Government would give its share to the CVDF, the funds for it would also be mobilized by other means including two per cent contribution from the hydroelectric companies operating in the region including National Hydro-electric Power Corporation (NHPC). The Fund will channelize investments for environment protections, social upliftment, development, employment generation and soil conservation in the Chenab Valley,’’ the Chief Minister said.
Sources said the Government expressed confidence that with the setting up of the CVDF, the developmental and infrastructure needs of the Chenab Valley would be fulfilled to quite an extent.
Noting that about one lakh tourists had come to Bhaderwah this summer so far, Mufti Sayeed called for attracting the tourists from Himachal Pradesh by developing Chamba-Bhaderwah road and generating wayside facilities for the tourists along the road. He said once Chamba-Bhaderwah road is developed, it would be easy to attract the tourists visiting Himachal Pradesh towards Bhaderwah.
He approved special grant of Rs 40 lakh to develop Bhaderwah-Bhalessa-Jai tourist circuit to attract more tourists. The funds, he said, should be utilized for generating facilities for the tourists visiting the spots. He also announced development of tourism at Baglihar with water sports and setting up of huts.
Mufti Sayeed announced setting up of a Committee to identify land for Jammu University Campus in Doda. The Committee will be headed by DDB Doda Chairman and Animal Husbandry Minister Sajjad Ghani Lone and will comprise Deputy Commissioner, Doda Bhupinder Kumar and JU Rectar Incharge Bhaderwah Prof GM Bhat.
The Panel will identify the land for setting up separate JU campus in Doda.
The Chief Minister said the norms for Centrally Sponsored Schemes for Doda-Kishtwar and Ramban districts will be relaxed.
He said the Central Government would soon take up work on alternate National Highway from Batote to Doda via Chenani-Sudh Mahadev. Till then, he added, funds have been placed at the disposal of Public Works Department (PWD) for repair of existing Batote-Kishtwar National Highway.
Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh said the fact that the Chief Minister and he himself attended all 20 meetings of the DDBs indicated seriousness on part of PDP-BJP coalition Government towards development of the State and personally monitoring the works and schemes.
He said innovative budget and fast track recruitment police would go long way in development and generating employment opportunities in the State.
An official handout said the meeting was informed that plan allocation for Doda for 2014-15 fiscal year was Rs 87.06 crore, including Rs 39.20 crore revenue component.
For the current fiscal, the CM announced an allocation of Rs 156.11 crore, all of it being capital component. It marks an increase of 179 per cent over last year’s plan.
Similarly for Kishtwar, the allocation for 2014-15 fiscal year was Rs 69.86 crore including revenue component of Rs 26.30 crore. For the current fiscal, Sayeed announced an allocation of Rs 115.35 crore for the district which is a full capital component.
Mufti Sayeed also announced setting up of Skill Development Institute of international standards in Chenab Valley area to make qualified manpower available for the power projects.
He said the detailed project report for the Skill Development Institute should be prepared with 10 days so that work on the project could be started within a month.
These measures would go a long way in providing succor to the people of the region, especially the youth, Sayeed said.
“Our Government is committed to the development of the Chenab region as the area has very peculiar problems which need to be addressed in a focused manner,” he said.
Given the huge potential of medicinal and aromatic plants in the area an appropriate site would be identified in the region at the earliest for establishment of National Institute Medicine Plants, the CM said, adding two villages would be developed in Kishtwar for growing of Rajmash and Zeera.
He also asked the administration to take into account assessment, aspirations and expectations of MLAs into consideration while framing the developmental plans.
“I have decided to chair all District Development Board meetings personally to ensure better rapport between MLAs and officers on the ground,” he said.
Responding to issues raised by the legislators, Sayeed asked the Divisional Commissioner of Jammu to sort out the matter of physical jurisdiction and administrative control in the area.
The Chief Minister also stressed the need for improving and upgrading the road connectivity in the Chenab Valley region. He issued on the spot instruction for expediting work on important roads under NABARD and CRF.
To improve connectivity in the area, R&B Department was asked to prioritize PMGSY roads which have been left midway due to the cost escalation. Sayeed said the Government will try to finance the roads prioritized by the R&B Department so that they are completed within the shortest possible time.
He said the Tourism Department would also create infrastructure at Tatta Paani in Marwah area of Kishtwar.
The meeting was informed that Chairman DDB Doda, Sajjad Ghani Lone shall adopt Boys Higher Secondary School Doda while MLA Doda will adopt Girls Higher Secondary School Doda, MLA Bhaderwah Higher Secondary School Boys Bhaderwah and MLA Kishtwar will adopt Boys Higher Secondary School Kishtwar and all these schools will be developed as Model Schools.
Besides the Chief Minister, Deputy CM, Dr Nirmal Singh, Minister for Forests and Social Welfare, Bali Bhagat and Minister for Animal Husbandry and Science and Technology, Sajjad Ghani Lone also addressed the District Development Board meetings of Doda and Kishtwar.
Minister for Finance and Culture, Dr Haseeb A Drabu, Minister of State for PWD and Revenue, Sunil Kumar Sharma, legislators G M Saroori, Shakti Raj Parihar, Daleep Singh Parihar, Neelam Langeh, Naresh Gupta, Sham Lal Bhagat, Sajad Kichloo and Firdous Ahmed Tak also attended the meeting.
Principal Secretary Planning, B R Sharma, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, B B Vyas, Principal Secretary PDD, Sundeep Nayak, Commissioner Secretary Education, Shaleen Kabra, Secretary PHE, Irrigation & Flood Control, Parvaiz Ahmad Malik, Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Secretary to Chief Minister, M H Malik, administrative secretaries of H&UDD, Health, Heads of Departments and other senior officers also attended the meeting.
Earlier, DC Doda and DC Kishtwar gave a detailed presentation of the physical and financial performance in various sectors in the district.
Important decisions of Doda and Kishtwar DDBs
*Rs 50 lakh sanctioned for restoration of Solid Waste Manage Plant Doda which was damaged due to floods
*Rs 50 lakh sanctioned for completion of 4 High School buildings in Inderwal constituency
* Rs 22 lakh for TRC Doda
*Pul Doda-Doda road to be taken up under CRF
*High School Bulandpur (Ramban) upgraded to the level of Higher Secondary School
*To examine possibility of Lift Irrigation Scheme Jodhpur (Doda)
*Trauma Centre Khellani to be inaugurated within 2 months
*Irrigation Department to pursue case of Kandi Canal work
*Fire Station approved at Gundoh (Bhaderwah)
*Bhatyas road to be taken up under CRF
*DPR to be prepared for road up to Bulandpur under PMGSY
*PWD to prepare feasibility report for Dachhan-Marwah Road
*Public park to be developed at Harghodhi, Kishtwar
*Construction of foot-bridge at Sikhdi Inderwal.
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