RAJOURI: Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary today laid the foundation stone for two important road projects under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana aimed at strengthening the rural connectivity in Nowshera division.
The projects included construction and maintenance of L021 Link Road from Helipad Ground Jhanghar to Ashok Gate Sarya via Purkhali in Block Qila Darhal, with a length of 4.0 km and sanctioned cost of Rs 1001.92 lakh and L024 Chowki to Kanara East via Nalli Mohalla (Link Road) in Block Nowshera, having a length of 2.50 km with a sanctioned cost of Rs. 565.20 lakh. These projects are expected to significantly improve the connectivity and facilitate smoother transportation for the local population.
The Deputy Chief Minister also laid the foundation stone for an Irrigation Guest House at Rajal, Nowshera, to strengthen the irrigation department’s infrastructure and facilitate better field supervision and departmental operations in the area.
Speaking on the occasion, the Deputy Chief Minister said that the government is committed to strengthening rural infrastructure and ensuring that development reaches every corner of the Union Territory. He emphasised that improved road connectivity will enhance access to essential services, markets, and educational institutions for residents of remote areas.
Later, the Deputy Chief Minister held public outreach camps at the foundation-stone-laying sites, where he interacted with local residents and heard their grievances.
Several issues were raised by the public, including unscheduled power cuts, scarcity of drinking water in Chowki, the upgradation of GMS Sarya and GMS Jhanghar, and the speedy implementation of schemes under the Jal Jeevan Mission.
The Deputy Chief Minister assured the public that their genuine concerns would be addressed by the relevant departments for early redress.
Among others present on the occasion were Chief Engineer PWD, Tilak Raj; ADC Nowshera Pritam Lal Thapa; DFO Nowshera Shweta Deona, ALC Pradyot Gupta, Executive Engineer PWD (R&B) Nowshera Sarwar Mehmood, besides other district officers and officials.
Meanwhile, a meeting regarding the ongoing development projects and FCA cases of Forest Division Nowshera was also chaired by the Deputy Chief Minister at Nowshera.
The meeting was attended by the Conservator of Forests, West Circle Rajouri, along with district officers of sister wings of the Forest Department. Additional Deputy Commissioner Nowshera, Chief Border Roads Organisation, Superintending Engineer Public Works Department, Rajouri and Superintending Engineer PMGSY also attended the meeting.
During the meeting, the Divisional Forest Officer, Nowshera, apprised the meeting about the status of ongoing projects and various FCA cases pertaining to the Nowshera Forest Division.
The Deputy Chief Minister reviewed the progress of the works and emphasised the need for timely coordination among all relevant departments to resolve issues promptly.
On the occasion, the Deputy Chief Minister also planted a sapling in the DFO campus at Nowshera as a gesture towards promoting environmental conservation.
