Anantnag: Advisor to Lieutenant Governor, Baseer Ahmad Khan Friday made an extensive tour of Qazigund, Anantnag district to inspect various ongoing Rural development and Power development works besides reviewing tourism scenario. The Advisor interacted with PRIs, met delegations and had assessment of public demands of the area.
The Advisor was accompanied by DDC Chairman Anantnag, Mohammad Yousuf Gorsi, ULB members, MD JKTDC, SE JKPDCL, ADDC, SDM Dooru and other concerned officers.
The Advisor started the tour with inspection of CSC being built along Yatra route at Drien by RDD under SBM. The BDO informed the Advisor that the complex has four (04) Sanitary points. The Advisor remarked that such type of wayside amenities have to be made functional in the least possible time and directed the officers to get the water supply connected to make the facility functional.
The Advisor inspected the Receiving Station Shempora which has been augmented by 3.7 MVA from 16.3 MVA to 20 MVA and put to public use. The Chief Engineer JKPDCL informed the Advisor that the cabling work for its smooth utilization in the town has been completed. Advisor directed the concerned officers to take up the third cycle of branch cutting from 8th of September as has been directed by him in the series of meetings already taken. He directed the officers to expedite the metering process and replace the rotten poles and wires immediately. He fixed September 30 as timeline for the whole process for PDD to complete so that efficient power supply is provided to the area in the coming winters. The Advisor further instructed the officers to keep record of inspections made by officers and field officials and inspected the register himself too. He directed the officers that the details of each inspection should be placed on the remarks column especially about the availability of the staff at the time of inspection, faults, repairs, stores etc. Review of stock of transformers, revenue collection data and outage details etc should also be available for further inspections by senior officers.
Advisor Baseer Khan also inspected the playfield and crate bund built by RDD under MGNREGA at Wanpora. He directed to complete Crate work on the Nallah adjacent to the playfield and also insisted to focus on more such wage generating works and the works that could be taken up in collaboration with irrigation department and other departments especially to wade off flood threats.
Later, Advisor chaired a Public meeting at Town Hall Qazigund where DDC Chairman, DDC members, BDC Chairperson Qazigund, Pesident MC Qazigund, other PRI and ULB members, MD JKTDC, CE JKPDCL, ADDC, SDM Dooru, Tehsildar and BDO Qazigund, AD Tourism Pahalgam, Exens and other engineers of REW, PDD and PHE, representatives of trade and transport associations besides Auqaf and civil society members participated.
Advisor enjoined upon the executing agencies across the departments to utilize the remaining working season to the optimum so that the ongoing public welfare and developmental works are culminated in the current season. He laid special emphasis on employment generating works so that people get meaningful livelihood opportunities near their places of residence.
Replying to one of the demands regarding development of sports infrastructure and stadiums, Advisor reiterated that sports fields and other related facilities are being developed in every panchayat. He asked the Deputy Commissioner and the Director Rural Development to identify land for development of playfields in the area.
Responding to the demand raised about the installation of street lights in and around the town, the Advisor assured that the matter will be taken up with the concerned and the demand will be fulfilled soon.
Khan said that adequate stock of transformers, poles and wires is being maintained and also sought requisition for the district in this regard.
Regarding Covid, Advisor said that the Covid is not over yet and people must not lower the guard in order to avert the 3rd Wave. Adherence to Covid Appropriate Behaviour for next 100 days to ensure effective containment of this dreaded disease is a must, the Advisor maintained. Terming the Covid vaccine as “Golden Bullet”, Advisor called upon the people to participate in the vaccination drives with full vigor so that hundred percent population is immunized and pre-Covid normalcy is restored. Advisor Baseer Khan impressed upon the PRIs, ULBs, religious leaders and other stakeholders to extend their full support to the administration in its endeavor to further curb the Pandemic. He asked them to carry out massive IEC Campaign in coordination with the authorities on the importance of CAB and Vaccination so that the deadly virus does not re-emerge.
Advisor, while taking stock of Disaster management preparedness, directed to identify critical and vulnerable spots on Nallahs and rivers, where flood protection works under convergence models could be immediately taken up as a proactive measure to avert damage to habitations during floods.
To upgrade tourism sector in the area, the Advisor asked the officers to prepare plans to refurbish the already existing infrastructure and propose new improvements that need to be undertaken for enhancing tourist potential in the area.
On the occasion, the DDC and ULB members, Trade Association representatives, Social activists besides Auqaf and Civil Society members of the area placed their demands and grievances before the Advisor. They apprised the Advisor about several development issues and demands of their respective areas.
Among others, the demands included, Provision of CT Scan and other facilities in Trauma Hospital Qazigund, Installation of street lights, replacement of electric poles and lights, Stadium for the area, Development of Cafeteria Park and Panzath as tourist place, snow clearance machinery for Qazigund, Reallocation of shopkeepers affected by highway shifting, JK Bank Branch for Kapran, etc.
Advisor passed on spot directions for redressal of certain demands and assured the other demands and issues will be taken up at appropriate platforms for their fulfillment.
Regarding the snow clearance machinery, the Advisor directed for putting up a proposal in coming days so that the matter will be addressed in the Disaster Management plan on priority.
Advisor Baseer Khan assured that the issue of the reallocation of the shops will be taken up with the concerned quarters—(KNO)
