Excelsior Correspondent
PULWAMA, Sept 17: In a major public outreach initiative, Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti conducted an open public grievances redressal camp here today.
During the grievance redressal camp, the Chief Minister heard people in a face to face interaction and in many cases issued on spot directions for the immediate settlement of their problems.
The deputations had come from different areas of these two districts which raised issues of road connectivity, drinking water facilities, rationalization of territorial distribution of villages, augmentation of health and educational infrastructure, development of tourism and completion of ongoing schemes.
These deputations sought pacing up of restoration works at the Khanqah I Faiz Panah, completion of Tral-Nawdal, Tral-Dadsara and Wahab sahib roads besides augmentation of Arihal receiving station and other health and educational facilities. They also sought declaring Arihal village a backward area.
Several other deputations from various areas of Pulwama district demanded macadamization of Gangoo-Hanjikhilo road and construction of Gangoo bridge; filling up of vacancies in health centres; upgradation of Nyna hospital; improvement of Chakoora-Nellora and Chakoora-Malangpora roads; augmentation of power distribution in Grawa Batne village; availability of doctors and paramedics at the health centres of Rajpora; removal of encroachments from the Khuls of Kakapora; declaring Chandgam as a backward area; construction of bridge at Draj in Lajoora village; addressing the drinking water shortage in the villages of Dongripora and Reshipora; developing park at Nikus; upgradation of schools in Tahab village and other issues.
A deputation of members of civil society of Pulwama sought improvement in the facilities at the District Hospital, posting of lady police at the Railway Stations for instilling confidence among female passengers, construction of a community hall and garbage disposal in the town.
The deputations from Shopian sought early start of work on the Bijbehara-Shopian road; setting up of a PHE sub division at Wachi; developing playfield at Zainapora; fencing and uninterrupted power supply to local Ziyarat; augmentation of facilities at the health centres at Nadigam, Zawoora Karewa, Kapran and Gatipora; improvement of Kellar-Dunaroo, Shopian-Kellar, Panzgam-Reshipora roads besides development of tourism facilities in the town.
The Chief Minister listened to the grievances of the people patiently and in many cases issued on spot directions of their redressal. She directed the administration to look into the problems flagged by people today sympathetically for a time bound redressal.
Mehbooba Mufti outlined a comprehensive roadmap for the holistic development of Pulwama town and other areas of the district.
Mehbooba said the thrust of the existing and new developmental initiatives sketched out for the district includes augmentation of connectivity, administrative infrastructure, healthcare facilities, educational infrastructure, power, irrigation and horticulture.
She said in addition to around 30 road and bridge projects costing Rs 190 crore under execution in the district, some new roads are proposed to be taken up to improve connectivity in and around the district and decongest the town.
The Chief Minister said that the new road projects include extension of the present Ring Road to connect with Pulwama-Newa-Srinagar Road as part of Highway-444.
She said widening of existing alternate road from SP Office Pulwama to T-Point on Pulwama-Rajpora road, to divert the traffic to Rajpora, Drubgam, Shadimarg, Kellar via this road from New Bus Stand, has also been proposed.
Regarding decongestion of Pulwama town, Mehbooba said additional Administrative-cum-Residential Complex will be constructed in District Industries Centre (DIC) complex opposite DC Office to house around 25 district offices which are presently scattered throughout the town and mostly housed in rented buildings.
She said a separate Maternity Hospital and doctors’ residential quarters will be constructed in Old Hospital Complex presently housing CMO’s office.
Mehbooba said out of around 1500 kanals of state land available at Chandgam Karewa, some portion will be utilized for construction of a Kendriya Vidyalya and a residential school for girls while a state-of-the-art sports facility would be developed on the remaining land.
Regarding AIIMS Awantipora, Mehbooba said since the actual commissioning of the Institute is likely to take some time, the Govt will push for setting up of make shift polyclinics for various specialities for which doctors would be brought on rotational basis from various premiere health institutions.
Regarding development of Mega Terminal Market for fruit at Aglar, the Chief Minister said that the fruit market will be spread over 260 kanals of land for which funds have been arranged under PMDP. She said additional 50 kanals of land are being acquired for further extension of Fruit Mandi at Prichoo, Pulwama.
She said the issue is not of availability of resources but the capacity to spend the money allocated to for developmental projects. “We shall have to develop adequate capacity at the administrative level to expedite execution of developmental works,” she said and added that peace and stability is important to ensure development at the grassroots level.
Minister of State for Forests, Mir Zahoor Ahmad, Legislators, Mohammad Khalil Bandh & Aijaz Ahmad Mir, Principal Secretary to CM, Rohit Kansal, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Baseer Khan, DC Pulwama, G M Dar, Secretary State Sports Council Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra and other senior officers were present during the public hearing.
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