Excelsior Correspondent
KATRA, Mar 13: Minister for Health and Medical Education and ARI and Trainings Ch Lal Singh today said that Government is making all out efforts to boost tourism in the three regions of the State, adding that tourism industry is the backbone of the State economy .
Ch Lal Singh was speaking at a function organised at Katra today .He said that lakhs of pilgrims visit the State to pay obeisance at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi, Shri Amarnathji besides other tourist spots in large numbers and it is important that modern infrastructure and facilities are provided to give fillip to the tourism sector .
Laying stress on developing Katra on modern lines, the Minister said Government is committed for all round development of the town and adjoining areas so as to ensure holistic development of the area. He said Katra Development Authority (KDA) is working on war-footing for creating better basic facilities in the town for the residents and visiting pilgrims.
Directing for maintaining proper cleanliness, he called upon the concerned to ensure that hygiene and sanitation in the holy town is maintained round the clock and special squads of municipality are formulated to keep a check on adulteration.
“Katra being base camp of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi ji yatra caters to pilgrims from all across the country and globe and it is duty of the concerned departments to make sure that best facilities are provided to the pilgrims”, he said.
MLA Reasi Ajay Nanda while speaking on the occasion said that Katra will be developed as a model town so as to facilitate the pilgrims who visit the holy Shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi ji from all over the country.
MLA presented a charter of demands of the people of Reasi town. The charter enlisted various demands pertaining to planned development and creation of better sanitation facilities in the town.
The Minister directed the concerned authorities to look into the demands and ensure that all genuine demands are addressed in a time bound manner.
Later, various deputations met the Minister and MLA and projected problems related PHE, Irrigation, Health, Power, Roads, Rural Development, Social Welfare, Education, Forest and other departments.
The Minister gave on-the-spot directions to the concerned agencies for immediate redressal. He also directed the concerned PHE authorities to ensure adequate drinking water facilities
People of Katra town also projected their demand for early restoration of dilapidated condition of link roads.
The Minister directed the R&B Department to ensure early start of renovation works of all the link roads.
Ch Lal Singh appealed the Sarpanchs and Panchs to monitor the quality of ongoing development works .He also appealed the unemployed youth to take the benefit of the various State and Centrally sponsored schemes to establish their own income generating units.
Regarding healthcare services to poor, the Minister asked the health authorities to prepare healthcare card of BPL families so that free health services to poor could be provided in the hospitals. He asked KDA to provide free identity cards to pithu walas and pony walas.
District Development Commissioner, Reasi- Sushma Chauhan, Senior Superintendent Police Reasi, Sujit Kumar, Director Health Services, Baljeet Singh Pathania, Project Director AIDS Control Society, Dr Mohan Singh, Additional Deputy Commissioner Reasi, Shiv Kumar Gupta besides all district officers of civil administration, Sarpanchs and Panchs accompanied the Minister.
Earlier, the Minister also visited the Holy Cave Shrine of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Ji and paid obeisance at the Sanctum Sanctorum.
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