Excelsior Correspondent
Jammu, Jan 17: To inspect the pace of work and get a first hand appraisal of several developmental projects undertaken in the winter capital, Lieutenant Governor, Girish Chandra Murmu today conducted an extensive tour of Jammu city.
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He visited the multi-tier parking project at Bus Stand Jammu. He was informed that the Rs 213.08 crore multi-tier parking facility would have first three floors reserved for parking of around 1300 vehicles and 200 two-wheelers while as the fourth and fifth floors would be developed to host commercial spaces like restaurants, showrooms, shops etc. for the convenience of passengers besides providing an alternate link to Nawabad area.
While reviewing the project, Murmu directed the concerned officers to ensure the operationalization of the multi-tier parking facility by ending March 2020 and at the same time outlined that unwarranted delays in the completion of developmental projects won’t be countenanced at any costs from now onwards. He further asked the officers to rise to the occasion and replace feigned compliance with enthusiastic action on the ground to complete all the ongoing projects within the time schedules to avoid the overrun of cost, time, and inconvenience to general public.
The Lt Governor also visited the historic Shri Raghunath temple and paid obeisance inside the sanctum sanctorum of the temple.
He took a walk from Shri Raghunath temple towards the Tourist Reception Center (TRC) across the historic market. Enroute, the Lt Governor took an on spot assessment of the beautification project of the market and other sanitation facilities.
At TRC, the Lt Governor interacted with the locals and the office bearers of various local business associations. On spot directions were issued to the officers regarding the genuine grievances putforth by them. he directed the officers concerned to complete the facelift of city markets and ensure the presence of dustbins, pay to use toilets and other basic amenities, wherever required. He thrusted the officers to ensure visible change on the ground within a month’s time.
At the same time, he called for a joint effort on part of the local market associations with the administration to ensure development of a uniform facade across the market along with identical signboards for the shops on lines of redevelopment of market around the Golden Temple Amritsar, a few years back.
The Lt Governor also visited the Hari Singh Park and took a tour of the park. He directed the officers to fix color lighting along the walkways and take steps to make the park more aesthetically pleasing.
Further, Murmu visited the Tawi river front to take the spot assessment of Artificial Lake Project and observed that the area along the Tawi River Front would be developed on the lines of Sabarmati River Front in Gujarat. The Commissioner/ Secretary to the Government, PHE I&FC Department, Ajeet Kumar Sahu briefed the Lt Governor about the status of Artificial Lake Project which is expected to be completed by July 2021. He directed the concerned officers to issue an official notification regarding the land surrounding the river so as to ensure proper demarcation and to save it from encroachment. He further stressed the development of green areas on both sides of the river.
While reviewing the working of Sewage Treatment Plant at Bhagwati Nagar, the Lt Governor directed the officials concerned for immediate 100% capacity utilization of the plant by connecting pending households and other buildings in the area with the facility.
The Lt Governor also visited the upcoming Ropeway project at Bahu Fort in the Jammu city and took a detailed inspection of the facility. He was apprised by the concerned officials that the cable car facility would be thrown open for the public shortly. He directed the officials to maintain the highest safety standards and professionalism while operating the facility.
While moving towards Udyog Bhawan at Bahu Plaza to review the working of Jammu Development Authority, the Lt Governor noticed a traditional pond at Narwal and passed on spot directions to the Commissioner, JMC to construct a retention wall around it and fix a sign board conspicuously depicting it as Government land to save it from encroachers and penalize anyone dumping garbage around it. He further directed the officers to fix conspicuous “Government Land” signboards in and around all Government lands, community water bodies within a period of 15 days, take immediate steps for demarcation of all such lands, and make provision for constructing boundary walls around them along with plantation of trees.
The Lt Governor, during the review of JDA asked the Vice Chairman to ensure that enforcement staff is sensitized to keep the encroachers of JDA land at bay. He directed the VC to devise a mechanism of ensuring every official of the enforcement wing has a particular land parcel allotted to him for surveillance against encroachment and if at all the said official fails to perform their duty or in any way connives with the encroachers, he should be penalized to the extent of dismissal from service, if need be.
While concluding the city tour, the Lt Governor visited the Historic Mubarak Mandi Heritage complex where he took on-ground appraisal of the restoration works being taken up at this Dogra heritage. He took an extensive tour of the interior sections of the complex including Gole Ghar and passed on spot instructions to the concerned officers regarding taking up emergency stabilization works of the most dilapidated structures, illumination of the completed sections and speeding up of the restoration works. He stressed that Mubarak Mandi Heritage complex is an inherent part of the royal Dogra culture besides being a world class heritage site.
The Lt Governor was accompanied by Chander Mohan Gupta, Mayor, Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC); Dheeraj Gupta, Principal Secretary Housing and Urban Development Department; Sanjeev Verma, Divisional Commissioner Jammu; Ajeet Kumar Sahu, Commissioner Secretary PHE; Sushma Chauhan, Deputy Commissioner Jammu; Kumar Rajeev Ranjan, Vice Chairman, Jammu Development Authority (JDA); Avny Lavasa, Commissioner, JMC; Zubair Ahmad; Secretary, Tourism Department; Deepika K. Sharma , Executive Director, Mubarak Mandi Jammu Heritage Society and other senior officers of various departments and executing agencies.
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