Jammu, Jan 27: The Jammu & Kashmir government is committed to accelerated and inclusive development and there is a need to foster tolerance and unity among the diverse streams of society in the union territory, said Principal Secretary Finance, Santosh D Vaidya on Saturday.
Vaidya, along with other senior officials, said this while listening to the issues and demands of the residents of Dansal block headquarters. He assured them of the timely resolution. Dansal witnessed a lively and interactive block diwas, an extensive public outreach programme.
The programme, which was also attended by DDC member Shameem Begum and former PRI members, aimed to provide a platform for the people to voice their concerns and aspirations directly to the authorities and seek redressal of their grievances.
Deputy Commissioner Jammu, Sachin Kumar Vaishya, Additional District Development Commissioner, Sher Singh, ACD Preeti Sharma, SDPO Nagrota, Akash Kohli, Block Development Officer, Joni Kumar, Tehsildar, Dhruv Gupta and other district officers and officials were also part of the public outreach event.
Some of the major issues raised by the public included issues related to Toll Plaza on transportation and movement of locals, creation of fresh ration cards, provision of water supply, upgraded medical facilities in the block and improvement of connecting roads and bridges.
The Principal Secretary assured the people that the UT and district administration will tirelessly work on these issues for an early redressal. He requested the DDC to work with NHAI and the departments of Jal Shakti, Health and Public Works to evolve balanced solutions to the issues raised. He assured that funding will be provided under the district budget on the priorities finalized with the involvement of all stakeholders and concerned authorities.
In his address, Santosh D Vaidya highlighted the diverse development projects and initiatives undertaken by the government in Jammu and Kashmir. These endeavours primarily encompass key sectors such as infrastructure, health, housing and education. Furthermore, he emphasised the establishment of peace, expressing how various segments of society are embracing the positive transformations and enduring peace prevailing in the region.
The Principal Secretary highlighted that the strenuous efforts of the National Highways Authority of India and the Public Works department have led to vast improvements in road connectivity and lowering travel times in the region. The NHPC and Power Development department are executing several ambitious projects which will double the hydropower capacity by 2026, he added. He also stressed the importance of scheduled maintenance and quality operations to ensure the durability and robustness of the projects. He emphasized the user fees and metering of electricity and water connections to ensure quality operation and maintenance.
Santosh D Vaidya highlighted the achievements of the government in tripling the tap water connections from about 5 lakh to over 14 lakh from 2018 to 2023, which has alleviated the drudgery of a large number of households. He also stressed the rapid upscaling of rural housing by the Rural Development Department under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana. He noted that the government has ensured housing for the poor, and even allotted the landless land vacated from encroachments.
Principal Secretary further spoke about the transformative developments in the health sector, such as the Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) Sehat scheme, which has provided fully free and comprehensive health cover to the entire population of J&K. He stressed on the rapid upscaling of medical and paramedical education which will provide more medical professionals for the UT. He touched upon the major initiatives of the education and social welfare departments for early childhood education and nutrition. He highlighted the major initiatives in these areas under the Samagra Shiksha and Integrated Child Development Services programmes.
Santosh D Vaidya also congratulated the police, paramilitary and armed forces for ensuring sustained peace despite numerous challenges. He said India is poised to take rapid strides in economic growth and build on the strong foundation built through socio-economic transformation in the past few decades.