Excelsior Correspondent
UDHAMPUR, Sept 10: Exuding confidence that situation in Kashmir valley will return to normalcy soon, the Union Minster of State in PMO with independent charge of North Eastern States, Dr Jitendra Singh today said that both Central and State Governments are working in close coordination with each other in this regard.
Talking to reporters on the side lines of the review meetings of various schemes taken up in hand in twin districts of Udhampur and Reasi districts at Udhampur today, Dr Singh said welfare of the youth and common masses is the priority before both the Governments and various steps have been taken how to restore the normalcy in the trouble-torn Valley.
Dr Singh said efforts are being made on the government level that schools are other educational institutions are re-opened in Valley for the benefit of the benefit of the students and at the same time normal functioning of offices and business establishment will also start soon.
Later addressing the review meeting of Rural Development Department Udhampur, Dr. Jitendra Singh who is also the chairman of District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee(DISHA) said that the notable achievement of the Narendra Modi led Government is that it has remained totally rural oriented during last two years and while making the schemes during this period interest of rural people was kept in view. In this regard he highlighted the Jan Dhan yojna, Fasal Bhima Yojna and various other schemes.
He said Modi Government was concerned for benefitting those people who have no accessibility to metros. Maintaining that BJP is guided by the spirit of former Jan Sangh president, Deen Dayal Upadhaya whose slogan was that last man in the last queue should be benefitted, he said the same concept is behind initiating various schemes for the development of rural areas in the country. Lauding the role of Minister of Rural Development, Abdul Haq Khan, he said the Minister has corporate result oriented approach which is good for Health of the Department.
Dr Singh, while highlighting various developmental schemes launched by the Government said Devika conservation is a flagship project and it is first project of its kind in the State. The conservation of Devika is must from the religious point of view as it has a lot of religious sanctity and as well as from the ecological point of view also. “The river is filled to such an extent that even during the small rain the water over flows its banks and it can cause a havoc at any time and create situation like that of 2014 floods in Kashmir if immediate steps were not taken for its conservation”, he added.
He said the good work done in RDD here will be emulated by other districts in the State as well as other states. He said establishment of radio station was a long pending demand of the Udhampur people which has been met now. The project had been delayed for many years but now the Government is looking forward to it and soon a High transmitter Tower would be installed at Patnitop for the digitisation of the signal. The Railway project at Katra is also one of the prestigious projects in the state, he added.
He said construction of Saddal village in Udhampur will be made at the ruins of the floods and it will be landmark in the history of India. The village was completed devastated after being washed away in the floods of 2014.
The Union Minister asked the officers not to delay the developmental process on one pretext or other as delay will lead to cost escalation. The funds is no constraint and the same can be arranged by other sources but the works should not be delayed at any cost. He also asked the officers to be alert and proactive.
Maintaining that the allegations of regional discrimination were the things of past, he said no disparity has been done with any region during the two years of Modi Government as it is working for the equitable development of all three regions of the State. There is no question of discrimination now which the people have been alleging for last 65 years, he added.
Addressing the meeting Rural Development, Panchayati Raj and Law Minister, Abdul Haq Khan warned the officers and officials that no corrupt element will be tolerated in the Department. Any officer and official found indulging in corrupt practices will not be handed over a suspension order but shown the door as any one who will be bolt on the Department will not be tolerated, he added.
He said RDD was a notorious department and “I during my tenure as MLA had also got the impression it is a “Chor Department” which without doing work was drawing bills”. “But the Department has now been put back on rails and there is a scope of further improving work culture”, he added.
He said the Department in Udhampur is working to his best satisfaction as it is not only creating assets but also giving jobs to the people. In implementation of NRLM schemes the RDD is top in the country, he added.
Khan said thefts and misuse of Government money has decreased in the Department and any one caught doing mal practice will not be spared.
Earlier the two ministers addressed the review meeting of twin districts of Udhampur and Reasi also in which the Minister of State for Information, CAPD, Rehabilitation and Labour, Ajay Nanda, MP (RS), Shamsher Singh Manhas, MLAs including R S Pathnia of Ramnagar and Deena Nath Bhagat of Chenani participated. They highlighted various shortcomings in implementation of various schemes in their respective constituencies.
The MLAs also highlighted the problems of water scarcity, power and bad condition of roads in their respective constituencies.
Earlier, Dr Jitendra Singh and Abdul Haq Nawaz Khan along with Ajay Nanda and Shamsher Singh Manahas inaugurated 22 foot bridges constructed under MPLAD and MGNREGA schemes.
Deputy Commissioner Udhampur Niraj Kumar, Deputy Commissioner Reasi Ravinder Kumar besides district and sectoral officers of Udhampur and Reasi districts were present in the meeting.