Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha addressed the people of Jammu Kashmir through the 19th edition of ‘Awaaz Ki Awaaz’ Radio programme, today.
The Lt Governor emphasized that people’s involvement with a collective spirit can lead to realising their aspirations.
The Lt Governor said that for a bright future and clean habitat, people must come together to remove encroachments and restore the wetlands. The administration has prepared an Integrated Action Plan for Ecological Conservation and about Rs 47 crore is being spent to save this priceless natural heritage, he added.
After 30 years, traditional navigation route of Khushal Sar was cleared and arrangements were made for the movement of Shikaras to Gilikadal and Zadibal, he informed.
Noting the unmatched progress being recorded in the tourism sector of J&K, the Lt Governor emphasized the necessity of collective role of all citizens to protect the ecology in view of the ever-increasing influx of tourists in the coming years.
He highlighted the success stories of many hardworking entrepreneurs and voiced several suggestions and ideas received from citizens from across the UT. He also issued directions to the concerned departments to assess and take actionable steps on the basis of the invaluable suggestions received from the masses.
Sharing the story of Jamshida Bano of Budgam, the Lt Governor said she is truly an inspiration. She is empowering the local women by providing them training in Sozni craft and helping them with livelihood development options related to the market, value chain to ensure they are financially independent.
The Lt Governor underscored that the UT administration is fully determined to make women educationally, socially and economically empowered. Efforts are also being made for training, skill development and marketing through cooperative societies and self-help groups to provide institutional support to the products of women entrepreneurs. Instructions have been issued to all departments to ensure maximum procurement through self-help groups and women entrepreneurs, he added.
The Lt Governor appreciated the work of Er. Anise Shreen and observed that she is giving back to the society by addressing various issues related to animal care and youth with a sense of purpose, sensitivity and compassion, while discharging her official duty with dedication.
The Lt Governor commended the Rajouri District administration for its efforts to provide market linkage to local artisans under the ‘Vocal for Local’ campaign, wherein almost a century old Chikri Woodcraft has been launched on the e-commerce platform. Such steps will empower the local handicrafts and artisans, he added.
Hari Krishan of Udhampur and Sadiq Ali of Mendhar are shining examples of true grit and new age farming. Their success stories based on diversification in agriculture are resonating amongst the farming communities of the adjoining areas, the Lt Governor further said.
The administration has made a substantial increase in the budget for the allocation of funds for agriculture and rural development and for the financial help of the farmers. Policies and programmes are being designed to bridge the gap between the rural and urban population, the Lt Governor added.
Speaking on the spellbinding offbeat destinations in Jammu division which are still largely unexplored, the Lt Governor said there is a need for enlightened citizens to help develop sustainable tourism together with the administration to tap the potential of these areas.
The Lt Governor also shared the suggestion of Radhika Mahajan from Jammu on transformative effects of Blockchain technology in the Travel industry and the need for incorporating the burgeoning technology of Blockchain in the field of Tourism and Hospitality. He directed the Tourism and IT departments to work on assessing its use in the UT.
Responding to Amir Hussain from Doda who touched upon the positive impact of the Ladli Beti Scheme in J&K and suggested the widening of district wide coverage of the scheme, the Lt Governor said UT administration is committed to 100% saturation of the schemes of Social Welfare Department and efforts are also being made to provide all the services digitally, adding that so far, more than one lakh beneficiaries have received Rs 150 crore directly into their accounts.
Appreciating the suggestion of Saima Mushtaq from Srinagar on organizing more exhibitions to promote the art and tradition of ‘Kashmir handicrafts’ like shawl, carpet weaving, paper mache work, chain stitching, wood carving and stone carving etc., the Lt Governor said that continuous efforts are being made to provide institutional support and participation of local artisans and craftsmen in the exhibitions being organized in the country and abroad.
The Lt Governor highlighted that under the ‘Karkhandar’ scheme started two years ago, 26 factory units have already been set up so that young children and girls could join this sector. Handicraft clusters are also being established with the help of Khadi and Village Industries which are working smoothly for design, marketing and up-gradation of skills, he further added.
Referring to the suggestion of Khan Aatif Abdullah from Kupwara who wrote that the best practices of water conservation must be promoted well with the help of volunteers, PRIs and other government institutions, the Lt Governor instructed Jal-Shakti and all the district administrations to run a special IEC campaign so that practices like water harvesting pits, rooftop rainwater harvesting structures, desilting, re-use are widely adopted.
The Lt Governor also complimented public representatives, concerned departments, common citizens and Panchayati Raj institutions for the construction and rejuvenation of Amrit Sarovars in record time in the UT.
Faisal Aijaz from Srinagar stressed on the need to increase awareness of the digital initiatives in the education through Block Diwas, Jan Abhiyan and other mass media, who was assured by the Lt Governor that necessary instructions on the same would be issued to the concerned departments.
On the valuable suggestion of Pratibha Sharma from Jammu for setting up of an institutional mechanism to involve sportspersons of national or international repute for direct regular interaction with aspiring and young sports talents in the educational institutions, the Lt Governor announced the decision of setting up a panel of 25 eminent players each for both the divisions of Jammu and Kashmir. The school and higher education department will together prepare a calendar of interactions with the children which will motivate the future generation to perform better, he added.
The Lt Governor also extended the Diwali greetings in advance and urged all to kindle the light of mutual love and brotherhood that would create a new dawn of unity in the UT.
