Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Dec 29: As a part of the pioneering initiative to create sustainable assets in rural development sector, Minister for Rural Development Panchayati Raj Abdul Haq Khan and Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali today inaugurated as many as 50 assets of public utility including Common Facilitation Centre (CFC), culverts and roads in Rajouri district.
The Ministers inaugurated CFC at remote village Peeri which was constructed at the cost of Rs 49 lakh under 13th FC. The construction of CFC is a part of the project – ‘CFC in every constituency’ – launched by the Minister in 2015.
The Ministers were accompanied by DC Rajouri Dr Shahid Iqbal Chowdhary, SSP Rajouri Jugal Manhas, ACD Rajouri Noor Alam, Assistant Director FCS&PD Mohammad Javid, District Social Welfare Officer Shabir Ahmad and AEE PHE Nisar Ahmad.
The Ministers inaugurated about 50 assets created by the Rural Development Department in the district which included foot bridges, culverts, roads constructed during 2016-17 and 2017-18. The assets include 30 durable assets of Darhal constituency constructed at the cost of Rs 6 crore.
Speaking on the occasion, Abdul Haq said the development of the rural areas will ensure the development of the State as majority of the people in the State reside in villages. He said the Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti is very keen to see development in the rural areas and she takes regular reviews of the developmental activities in the rural areas.
He said under MGNREGA, the department has taken a mission to connect rural areas by focusing on the construction of roads and bridges. He said it has been a grand success and during past two years a web of roads and culverts have been laid in the rural areas of the State. He said constructing roads is the first step towards the development and rural development has been successful in achieving the goal of increasing connectivity by connecting villages
The Minister made it clear that he won’t allow misuse of funds in rural development sector on political considerations, a practice which was rampant in past.
Chowdhary Zulfkar Ali lauded the role played by the Rural Development Department in the development of villages in the State. He said the department has used funds judiciously to create durable assets under MGNREGA which would not have been possible in past.
He said under the new concept of convergence of funds, sustainable assets are being created under MGNREGA in the rural areas instead of resorting to futile works on political considerations.
The Minister said several initiatives are in pipeline on developmental front to ensure all round transformation of the developmental landscape of Jammu and Kashmir. He said the productive use of funds in rural development sector will be instrumental in changing socio-economic profile of the people living in the rural areas, besides creating much needed employment opportunities.
Asking people to come forward and to get actively involved in day to day governance by providing feedback about implementation of various schemes, the Minister said that it is prime responsibility of the Government to provide all basic facilities at doorstep of common people.
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