Srinagar, May 14: Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today reviewed the arrangements put in place by the administration for the holy month of Ramazan across the state in a high-level meeting of officers here today.
The Chief Minister took a detailed review regarding status and availability of power, drinking water, essential supplies, sanitation and other arrangements made by the concerned departments for the coming month across the state, an official press release said.
It said Mehbooba Mufti also directed the DCs and District SPs to ensure complete synergy between civil administration, police and army so that people do not face any inconvenience during prayers in late hours and early mornings. She also directed the district administrations across the state to remain alert and cautious, and do not allow any anti-social element to create any law and order issue.
Mehbooba Mufti directed that uninterrupted supply of drinking water, power, essential commodities like sugar, meat, milk, etc., be made available to consumers without any difficulty. She directed the Srinagar Municipal Corporation and Urban Local Bodies to ensure that cleaning of roads to places of congregational prayers like Hazratbal, Jama Masjid, Dastageer Sahib shrines and other places is done on round-the-clock basis.
She also directed management of dog menace on the streets during nights so that people are not inconvenienced during ‘Fajr’ and ‘Tarawih’ prayers.
The Chief Minister directed deployment of adequate manpower to manage and regulate traffic during peak hours at major junctions like Parimpora, Batwara and Rambagh, major towns of the state and on national highway.
Mehbooba Mufti also directed making available transport facility, sanitation and street-lighting for devotees to places of congregational prayers like Dargah Hazratbal, Jama Masjid Srinagar, Jama Masjid Jammu, Dastageer Sahib shrine Srinagar and other places across the state. She also directed setting up of health facilities near the places of congregational prayers in view of the hot summer season at Jammu.
The Chief Minister directed the PDD authorities to install high-mast lights at prominent places in the capital cities, particularly in downtown Srinagar and Jama Masjid, Khanqah-i-,Moula etc., where people generally pass through for offering congregational prayers.
She directed strict regulation of power supply during peak hours of ‘Sehri’ and ‘Iftaar’ and making adequate number of transformers available for replacement so that people don’t face any difficulty in getting power supply.
The Chief Minister was informed that a Ramazan Helpline is being established at all district headquarters which people can contact in case of any distress. She was also informed that in many districts a revised curtailment schedule of power has been prepared to ensure that no curtailment takes place at ‘Iftaar’ and ‘Sehri’ times. She was also informed that PDD has constituted Quick Reaction Teams (QRT) to respond to any request for help to people in case of transformer damage or any other disruption in power supply.
Deputy Commissioners and District SPs across the state attended the meeting through video conferencing.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister asked police officers to adopt a cautious and professional approach in dealing with the day-to-day situations in the state.
“The police have been and should be an institution of public reassurance rather than a cause of fear among the masses,” Mufti said during an interaction with police officers.
The chief minister advised the police officers to adopt and popularise community policing in the state.
The approach would also help in guiding youths and dissuading them from venturing on wrong tracks, she said, adding stress should be laid on counselling, advice and interaction in their discharge of duties.
“A compassionate and responsive approach with the general population of law-abiding citizens would automatically isolate the criminal elements in society,” she said and directed use of modern methods of investigation and crime detection instead of the obsolete ones to overcome any allegation of harassment or excess.
The chief minister asked the officers to follow a social catharsis approach while dealing with youths which would persuade them not to venture on the path of violent waywardness, thereby utilising these youth for positive and gainful purposes.
Mufti asked the officers to enhance their public outreach in their respective areas to get a feel of the needs of people.
She advised them to be in constant touch with village elders and community leaders and be always ready to help them whenever called for.
Director General of Police S P Vaid, Additional Directors General of Police A G Mir and Muneer Ahmad Khan, IGP Kashmir zone S P Pani and several other police officers were present.
