JAMMU: Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary, today conducted an extensive tour of border areas in R.S. Pura to review the progress of developmental works and address the public grievances.
During the visit, the Deputy Chief Minister convened a day long public outreach programme at Village Sai, where he interacted with a large gathering of residents and listened to their concerns.
Pushing for holistic development of border areas, the Deputy Chief Minister directed the concerned departments to identify suitable land patches for construction of a Community Hall, an Industrial Estate and other public facilities in the area.
“Our emphasis is on sustainable and inclusive development and the government is determined to strengthen the infrastructure and improve livelihood opportunities in border regions,” he said.
He asked the officials to explore the possibilities for establishment of an Industrial Estate on available government land, making it clear that industries would not be set up by acquiring farmers’ land.
Highlighting the importance of skill development, the Deputy Chief Minister also called for strengthening training opportunities and skilling local youth for better livelihood opportunities. He further directed the concerned departments to organise awareness-cum-registration camps under the Labour and Employment Department so that eligible residents can avail welfare benefits.
“I urge all the residents to register for labour cards, which provide benefits such as marriage assistance for daughters, scholarships for child education and health insurance coverage for the workers,” he said.
Earlier, the Deputy Chief Minister paid obeisance at the revered Baba Hare Peer Dargah and prayed for peace, harmony and prosperity in Jammu and Kashmir.
Later, he inspected the restoration work of the Hare Peer Bridge at Sai Kalan and expressed serious concern over the poor design and execution of the project.
Taking strong notice of the delay and technical shortcomings, he directed the concerned authorities to conduct an enquiry into the matter. He stressed that permanent restoration, including strengthening and protection of the existing infrastructure, must be completed at the earliest to ensure seamless connectivity for residents of the border areas.
During the tour, the Deputy Chief Minister also inspected the ongoing construction work on Sai Fagal Bridge (Aik Nallah) and reviewed its progress, directing the executing agencies to expedite the pace of work for its timely completion.
During the outreach programme, the local residents raised several issues relating to development and basic services. Key concerns included the ownership rights of West Pakistan Refugee (WPR) legal allottees, improvement in irrigation water supply , maintenance of canals such as D-17 and Jagobal and relief in electricity bills for farmers cultivating land beyond the border fencing.
The locals also highlighted the need for improved sanitation facilities, construction of ladies’ bathrooms, verification of individual bunkers in border areas, better public transport services including e-buses and timely restoration of infrastructure damaged due to floods and other natural causes.
The Deputy Chief Minister directed the concerned officers to take prompt action on the issues raised and ensure speedy implementation of development works in the border areas.
The Dy CM was accompanied by MLA Suchetgarh, Gharu Ram Bhagat, former DDC members, Chief Engineers of PMGSY and PWD, Concerned SDM and other senior officers.
