SRINAGAR: Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha has directed the government officials to take proactive steps to facilitate the return of Kashmiri Pandits community who, he said, were forced to flee their homes and were settled in various parts of the country. “There are many families living in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, and other parts of the country and also abroad who are willing to return home or register themselves. Officials of the UT Government must roll out an extensive exercise to reach out to them through proper means of communication,” Sinha said during a meeting he chaired to review the functioning of Disaster Management, Relief, Rehabilitation & Reconstruction (DMRR&R) Department here at Raj Bhavan.
The Lieutenant Governor said that the administration must ensure the entire population of Kashmiri Migrants was registered with the J&K Government. “Many people yearn for their old lives and would like to return to their homeland. Some families are well settled elsewhere but may want to come here to pay obeisance to their motherland and get registered as Kashmiri migrants. Work on this with utmost sensitivity and sincerity”, observed the Lt Governor.
He further said that it was government’s responsibility to make sure this dream of thousands of people turned into reality with proactive approach of the administration and told the officers to ensure that the benefits of Kashmiri migrants must reach all the communities which are falling under the said category.
Taking stock of the future deliverables of the department, the Lt Governor directed the officials to take effective measures for completion of works within committed timelines stating that delays in delivering public services and execution of development works won’t be accepted and action would be taken against the officials responsible for holding up of the works.
Setting the agenda straight, the Lt Governor fixed the deadlines for the completion of transit accommodations for Kashmiri Migrant Employees across the valley.
While directing for preponing the targeted timeframe for completion of the ongoing construction works, the Lt Governor set November 2021 as new timeline for completion of Transit Accommodation at Ganderbal. Directions were also passed for the completion of construction work at Shopian by March, 2022 and at Baramulla and Bandipora by November, 2022. He also stressed upon strict adherence of the timelines and warned strict against failing the same.
The LG further said that the tenders for the upcoming works must be prepared in consultation with stakeholders for smooth and early execution of works adding that the need was to double the efforts to ensure that the benefits under various components are being extended to all eligible beneficiaries, especially those who are being left out from the ambit of the welfare measures. “At the same, it must be ensured that no in-eligible person shall be entitled to any of the benefits which is the rightful claim of someone else,” the Lt Governor asked the officials.
He also passed clear cut directions for identifying unauthorized allocation of accommodations and taking strict measures to vacate the same.
While taking detailed assessment of the works done under Civic Action programme, the Lt Governor directed for proper fund utilization for quality output and instructed the concerned Chief Engineer to submit a comprehensive report chart on the work executed so far.
Instructions were passed to the senior officials for taking a periodic review of the progress made under ongoing projects, besides putting dedicated efforts through comprehensive measures to remove bottlenecks, if any.
Earlier, Simrandeep Singh, Secretary to the Government, Department of DMRR&R, gave a detailed briefing on the working of the department and measures initiated in respect to extending Relief to Kashmiri and Jammu Migrants; Implementation of PMDP component of providing 3000 Jobs to Kashmiri Migrants; Constructing 6000 Transit flats for Migrants Employees in Kashmir; providing Financial package to PoJK DPs; Financial package for West Pakistan Refugees; World Bank Funded Project of NDMA for Seismic Risk reduction.
While enquiring about the present status of the 6000 Transit flats for Migrants Employees in Kashmir, the chair was informed that 304 Units are being constructed at Kulgam (208) and Budgam (96), besides accumulative 1200 Transit Accommodations are coming up at Ganderbal, Shopian, Bandipora, Baramulla, Kupwara, and land for other 2744 Units has been identified at 07 locations.
Baseer Ahmed Khan, Advisor to Lt Governor; Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary; Nitishwar Kumar, Principal Secretary to Lt Governor; Pandurang K Pole, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir; Dr. Raghav Langer, Divisional Commissioner Jammu; concerned Chief Engineers and other senior officers participated in the meeting, in person and through virtual mode.
