Chief Minister Omar Abdullah reviews development in Kathua, Samba
Samba, Jan 7: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday reviewed the overall development scenario of Kathua and Samba districts, inaugurating and laying foundation stones of several projects, while stressing time-bound completion of works, quality execution and focused efforts on employment generation and public service delivery.
The meeting in Samba, as per an official statement was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary; Ministers Sakeena Itoo, Javid Ahmad Dar and Satish Sharma; and Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani. Also present were Chairperson, District Development Council (DDC) Samba; Members of Legislative Assembly S.S. Slathia (Samba), Chander Prakash Ganga (Vijaypur) and Devinder Kumar Manyal (Ramgarh).
Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Dheeraj Gupta, Heads of Departments and other senior officers also participated in the review meeting.
Addressing district-specific concerns, the Chief Minister urged the administration to expedite the pace of developmental activities and ensure that benefits of growth reach every household. “Officers must ensure time-bound completion of all projects, remove bottlenecks, improve public service delivery and maintain high standards of quality in execution,” the Chief Minister asserted.
Taking note of key issues raised during the meeting, the Chief Minister directed immediate redressal and resolution of matters flagged by the MLAs. He further instructed that all concerns raised be verified on priority and necessary corrective measures taken without delay.
With regard to projects under SASCI, the Chief Minister directed the Deputy Commissioner to fast-track their execution and ensure periodic reviews to monitor progress and address impediments in a timely manner.
The Chief Minister also stressed the importance of effectively resolving public grievances raised by DDC member and MLAs, directing the administration to maintain close coordination with public representatives to ensure responsive governance.
During the meeting, several other issues were highlighted, including drinking water supply, sanitation, regularisation of daily wagers, upgradation of schools, establishment of colleges in remote areas, implementation of industrial policy, and shortage of staff in hospitals and educational institutions. The Chief Minister assured that all genuine concerns would be examined and addressed in a timely and systematic manner.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister also e-inaugurated developmental projects worth Rs 533 lakh, including: Improvement and upgradation of link road from Panchayat Ghar Chak Slarian to Ramloo at Tara Resort (length 5.85 km) under NABARD at a cost of Rs 311.66 lakh; and Construction of link road at Village Chak Nazir (length 2.50 km) under NABARD at a cost of Rs 221.54 lakh.
Moreover, the Chief Minister laid the e-foundation stone for the construction of a 100-metre span footbridge over River Basanter at Banab, to be executed under NABARD at an estimated cost of Rs 198.38 lakh.
Meanwhile, in a sperate official statement CM Omar Abdullah in Kathua district, chaired a District Review Meeting at the Deputy Commissioner’s Office Complex. The Chief Minister inaugurated key projects spanning rural enterprise, agriculture and allied sectors, which are expected to generate employment and add value to local resources.
Among the major inaugurations were the Bamboo Crafts Common Facility Centre at Sallan (Rs 2.87 crore), Kathua Kriti Showroom (Rs 41.51 lakh) for marketing local products, and the Agarbatti Common Facility Centre at Billawar (Rs 3.39 crore) to support micro-entrepreneurs and self-help groups.
Further strengthening the agriculture sector, the Chief Minister inaugurated the upgradation of Poultry and Hatchery Unit, Kathua, under the Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP), with an outlay of Rs 3.88 crore, aimed at improving productivity and farmers’ income.
In the education sector, the Chief Minister laid the foundation stone for eight additional classrooms at Government Higher Secondary School, Kathera, at an estimated cost of Rs 1.768 crore, to ease congestion and improve learning facilities.
The meeting was attended by Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary, Ministers Sakina Itoo, Javid Ahmed Dar and Satish Sharma, Advisor to the CM Nasir Aslam Wani, DDC Chairman Mahan Singh, MLAs Dr Bharat Bhushan (Kathua), Satish Sharma (Billawar), Dr Rameshwar Singh (Bani), Darshan Kumar (Basohli) and Vijay Kumar (Hiranagar).
Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Additional Chief Secretary to CM Dheeraj Gupta, Deputy Commissioner Kathua Rajesh Sharma, senior officers and heads of departments were also present.
Deputy Commissioner Kathua presented a brief district profile and progress under various schemes, following which the Chief Minister reviewed sector-wise physical and financial performance and directed departments to ensure time-bound execution with emphasis on quality and visible outcomes on the ground.
Reviewing PMGSY and NABARD-funded roads, the Chief Minister called for identification of bottlenecks and stressed proper drainage, slope protection and safeguards to make roads durable and all-weather. The Deputy Chief Minister informed that the Juthana Bridge is nearing completion and will be opened to the public shortly.
While reviewing agriculture and allied sectors, the Chief Minister directed that the pesticide testing laboratory be made operational within the stipulated timeline and that the DPR of the Regional Cultural Centre of JKAACL be fully equipped, assuring early release of funds after submission of the required proposal.
On the occasion, the Ministers made interventions relating to their respective departments and issued appropriate directions.
Emphasising employment generation, the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister directed that job fairs be outcome-oriented and that Mission YUVA be implemented with active involvement of elected representatives to maximise outreach among youth.
The MLAs also thanked CM Omar Abdullah and Health Minister Sakina Itoo for sanctioning MRI machine at Associated Hospital, GMC Kathua which will benefit people of the region.
