Principal Secretary Finance presides over public outreach camp at Moughla Rajouri

RAJOURI, FEBRUARY 21: Principal Secretary Finance, Santosh Dattatreya Vaidya, today presided over a public outreach camp at Moughla block in Rajouri district.

Deputy Commissioner Rajouri, Om Prakash Bhagat and other senior officers of different departments were present on the occasion

The camp witnessed significant turnout of residents from Moughla and adjoining parts who projected their issues and concerns seeking speedy redressal of the same.

Several issues were brought to the notice of Principal Secretary during the event, which inter alia included construction of roads from Badgai to Sagoon, from GHSS Mougla to Lano Kheter and from Kanchi Morh to Dreari, augmentation of power infrastructure, installation of electricity poles, requirement of additional transformers, paucity of staff in educational and health institutions, dilapidated condition of roads, construction of bridge for Paltha in Treru, repair of road from Solki to Khabbar, expediting work on JJM schemes, sanctioning of 33 KVA Receiving Station for Terayth, inclusion of eligible left out beneficiaries under PMAY-G, sanctioning GDC for Mougla, renewal of gun licenses, forest clearance issues, providing an ambulance for Mougla, sanctioning adequate funds under TSP, Gujjar Hostel for Mougla, subdivision status to Mougla, creation of separate post of Munsif Judge, construction of building for mobile school,  J&K Bank Branch at Gai Bas etc.

The Principal Secretary inspected the stalls established by various departments,  highlighting their respective schemes and initiatives being implemented for welfare and devlopment of common masses.

Addressing the event, the Principal Secretary said that the primary objective of holding these public outreach camps is to bridge the gap between the public and the government. These camps serve as a platform to engage with the public directly, listen to their concerns and gather feedback on various government schemes and initiatives.

“By establishing direct communication channels with the public, the government aims to create a more inclusive and participatory governance system. This enables the government to understand the needs and aspirations of the people and make the policy decisions as per needs and aspiration of public at large”, he maintained.

The Principal Secretary assured the people that their concerns would be given careful consideration, and appropriate action would be taken to address them effectively.

Regarding repair of old handpumps, the Principal Secretary directed the concerned officers from the Jal Shakti department to take effective measures to address this issue on priority.

He also urged upon the public to take advantage of various government schemes, like Ayushman Bharat meant for their welfare. He emphasized the importance of government’s holistic agriculture development program in raising the living standards of farmers.

The Principal Secretary highlighted the development projects and initiatives undertaken by the government in Jammu and Kashmir with emphasis on infrastructure, health, housing and education. He highlighted that the strenuous efforts of National Highways Authority of India and Public Works department have led to vast improvements in road connectivity and lowering of 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 on the importance of scheduled maintenance and quality operations to ensure the durability and robustness of the projects. He emphasized on user fees and metering of electricity and water connections for ensuring quality operation and maintenance.

The Principal Secretary highlighted the achievements of the government in tripling the tap water connections from about 5 lakh to over 14 lakh during 2018 to 2023, which has alleviated drudgery of a large number of households. He also stressed on the rapid upscaling of rural housing by Rural Development department under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

The 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 also 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 Education and Social Welfare departments for early childhood education and nutrition. He highlighted the major initiatives in these areas under the Integrated Child Development Services programmes. He said that the UT government is committed towards accelerated and inclusive development and acknowledged the need for fostering tolerance and unity among the diverse streams of the society.

Earlier, the Deputy Commissioner highlighted the achievements registered under various schemes being implemented by different departments in the district including Ayushman Bharat, PMGSY, JJM, PM KISAN, etc. He also highlighted the status of grievances raised by the public during the recent public outreach camps. He informed that out of total 485 issues highlighted during the recent 07 public outreach camps, 248 grievances have been redressed.

Among others present in the outreach camp were DDC Member Mougla, ADC Kalakote, ASP Kalakote, CPO, DMO, DSWO, CEO Education, CMO, LDM, Executive Engineer REW, Executive Engineer PDD Rajouri, Executive Engineer PMGSY Rajouri, Executive Engineer Jal Shakti Nowshera, Executive Engineer  Jal Shakti Mechanical and other district and sectoral officers.