Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 29: Minister of State for Health, Shabir Ahmad Khan today said the economic welfare of far-flung and backward areas is the top priority of the Government, adding that special schemes launched to uplift the rural and backward areas are yielding tangible results.
Addressing a public meeting at Thanamandi, the Minister said Government’s priority is to upgrade communication, education and health cover in these areas 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 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 four years towards bringing accountability and transparency in the administration are worth appreciating. “The Right to Information Act, Public Service Guarantee Act, holding of free and fair Panchayat elections are some of 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 Minister said that under the flagship programme of National Rural Health Mission, a whooping amount of Rs.333.65 crore has been provided for construction and up-gradation of various health institutions against which over Rs.274 crore have been incurred for the purpose in the State.
The 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’ (Maa Tuje Salaam) is successfully operational in the State for provision of cashless service to the pregnant women and neonates, adding that during current 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 all-round development of the district. He said besides up gradation of infrastructure under core sectors, the varied tourism potential of the area received focused attention.
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