Srinagar, April 12: The Jammu and Kashmir Regional Branch of the Indian Institute of Public Administration (IIPA) held a strategic meeting in Srinagar on Tuesday to deliberate on a roadmap for upcoming activities over the next four to six months across Srinagar and other districts of the Kashmir division.
A statement issued here said that the meeting was chaired by Dr G.N. Qasba Vice Chairman, Kashmir and attended by distinguished members including A.M. Watali, Executive Committee Member, Kh Bashir Ahmad, Prof. Gul Mohammad, Mir Showkat Ahmad, Bashir Ahmad, Executive Committee Member, G.M. Andrabi, Joint Secretary, Shahnawaz Bukhari, Joint Director Information, who was the special invitee.
Members reaffirmed their commitment to reinvigorating IIPA’s presence in Kashmir with a renewed focus on issues of good governance and public administration. The committee expressed its gratitude for the continued support and guidance from patron Dr Ashok Bhan and chairman BR Sharma.
A key agenda item was the pursuit of suitable accommodation for IIPA’s activities in Srinagar, as highlighted in a DO letter addressed by the Chairman to the Chief Secretary. In the interim, the use of the Conference Hall at the Directorate of Information on Residency Road was proposed, subject to approval from the Director Estates and Secretary Information.
The Annual Debating Contest was scheduled tentatively for August, with members invited to suggest or confirm a theme. A proposal by Khurshid Ahmad Ganai, former Advisor to the Governor, to organise a public lecture on a topic of societal relevance was welcomed. Furthermore, it was resolved to invite the Transport Commissioner to deliver a talk on the role of Information Technology in enhancing service delivery within the Transport Department. Members also discussed the pressing issue of traffic management in Srinagar and proposed a collaborative event involving key stakeholders, including the Traffic Police. The meeting concluded with a consensus to conduct smaller, thematic discussions in the coming months, aimed at promoting informed discourse on governance and administrative reform across the Valley.
