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Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Nov 14: Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today formally launched the World Bank funded Rs 1600 crore (US $250 mn) Jhelum-Tawi Flood Recovery Project here today.
The project was conceptualized and pursued by former Chief Minister, late Mufti Muhammad Sayeed in the aftermath of devastating floods of 2014 and today after completion of all formalities the project was formally launched.
The loan assistance from the World Bank would be shared by Centre and the State Government on 90:10 basis and it would be operative for five years ending June 2020. The loan assistance would not only comprise fund flow from the world body but also expertise to handle such projects and the necessary technological advancements as well. It will also facilitate capacity building and creation of livelihood.
Component wise, the $ 250 million project would comprise re-construction and strengthening of critical infrastructure (US$60 million), reconstruction of roads and bridges (US$80 million), restoration of urban flood management infrastructure (US$50 million), strengthening and restoration of livelihoods (US$15 million), strengthening disaster risk management capacity (US$25 million), contingent Emergency Response (US$0 million) and implementation support (US$20 million).
The primary beneficiaries would be the communities in the State that were affected by loss of public service infrastructure. By strengthening disaster risk management systems and institutions, the project will benefit the entire State.
Speaking on the occasion, the Chief Minister said alongside the political agenda, development of Jammu and Kashmir as a model State is the cornerstone of her Government. She said late Mufti Muhammad Sayeed had a political and developmental vision for J&K to make it a model State in the country which he pursued vigorously, adding the vision of the late leader would be fulfilled by the State Government with all seriousness.
She reminded the jam packed audience of stakeholders that when the late leader took over in 2002 as the Chief Minister he rolled out his political and developmental agenda and started working for its implementation and during the same tenure he persuaded and got Asian Development Bank assistance for funding the urban development projects in the State and after taking over in 2015 convinced the World Bank to fund reconstruction of critical developmental infrastructure in the State.
The Chief Minister said to fulfill the dream of making a prosperous Jammu and Kashmir she would not only seek more and more funding from the Centre but also see how investment and expertise from countries around the globe can come to the State.
Advising the engineers and planners to incorporate all the safety precautions in the works that they would be taking up under the project, Mehbooba Mufti said Jammu and Kashmir is a high seismic zone and prone to natural disasters like floods and cloudbursts and advised the experts to factor in this while going for the constructions.
She also flagged sectors like education and healthcare where she desired to have a world class infrastructure. Mehbooba said she intends Jammu and Kashmir to have a quality infrastructure in education so that it becomes a world class hub of education.
On the clean environment in the State, the Chief Minister said the State qualifies to be developed as a place for medical tourism. She hoped under the projects quality medical infrastructure would be raised which would not only provide better facilities to patients of the State but also persuade patients from outside to come for treatment here, thereby contributing to the State’s economy substantially.
She said with the setting up of five new Medical Colleges, some Nursing Colleges and paramedic institutes health infrastructure in the State would be upgraded substantially.
Referring to recent unfortunate incidents in the State during the past four months, Mehbooba Mufti said she is deeply hurt with the killing of young boys, injuries to people and also due to the loss of precious academic time of the young generation which, she said, is among the irreparable losses. She said the youth of Jammu and Kashmir have shown their talent on time and again but the only thing is of opportunity and exposure.
“Be it the youngest woman pilot from Baramulla, topper of BSF officers’ exam from Udhampur or many of the young boys and girls who cracked the prestigious all India civil services examinations, they all have made us proud”, she said.
Observing that the State is very fertile in producing genius, the Chief Minister, however, advised the youth to channelize their energies positively so that they are able to provide relief to the citizens of the State who have suffered due to neglect and insincerity during the past 70 years.
On the issues confronting the State, the Chief Minister said the Agenda of Alliance reached out between the two ruling parties has made the progress on these issues mandatory and assured that whatever she or her party promised would be delivered but for that she said the Government needs to be given an ambience of peace so that it can focus on bigger issues rather than getting tangled in petty things like maintaining law and order. She said world over the era of violence is over and no issue can be resolved either by violence or taking law into one’s hands.
The Chief Minister complimented Ministers for Relief & Rehabilitation and Finance and the team of experts and officers from the State Government for working together to close the deal with World Bank. She impressed upon the officers to ensure that the project deadlines are met with and works are completed within the stipulated time frame.
Earlier, in his address, Minister for Public Works and Parliamentary Affairs, Abdul Rehman Veeri said that the launch and execution of the project would be a tribute to the efforts which late Mufti Muhammad Sayeed made for it.
Minister for Revenue, Relief and Rehabilitation, Syed Basharat Bukhari in his address thanked the World Bank officials for working in tandem with State Government for finalisation of the project. He underscored the need for having a comprehensive Rehabilitation and Disaster Management Policy for the State.
Minister of State for Planning, Ajay Nanda also addressed the gathering and hoped that the project would ensure a developmental revolution in the State.
Earlier in his introductory remarks, Financial Commissioner, Planning & Development, B B Vyas highlighted the main contours of this project, adding that all the sectoral and geographical equities have been ensured in the project.
Ministers, legislators, Chief Secretary, officers and heads of all the departments were present on the occasion.
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