Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today announced setting up of Chenab Valley Development Fund (CVDF) to channelize investments towards environment protection, soil conservation, social uplift and employment generation in the hilly region.“The resources for Chenab Valley Development Fund would be mobilized by various means with 2% to be chipped in by the hydroelectric companies operating in the region. Besides, there will be the contribution of the State Government as well,” Sayeed said while speaking at the District Development Board meetings of Doda and Kishtwar districts here today.Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Nirmal Kumar Singh, Minister for Forests & Social Welfare, Bali Bhagat who is also the chairman of DDB Kishtwar and Minister for Animal Husbandry and Science and Technology, Sajad gani Lone, who is chairman DDB Doda also addressed the meeting.
Minister for Finance & Culture, Dr Haseeb A Drabu, Minister of State for PWD & Revenue, Sunil Kumar Sharma, legislators G M Saroori, Shakti Raj Parihar, Daleep Singh Parihar, Neelam Langeh, Naresh Gupta, Sham Lal Bhagat, Sajad Kichloo and Firdous Ahmed Tak also attended the meeting.The meeting was informed that the plan allocation for Doda for the fiscal 2014-15 was Rs 87.06 crore, including Rs 39.20 crore revenue component. For the current fiscal, the Chief Minister announced an allocation of Rs 156.11 cr, all of it being capital component. It marks an increase of 179% over the last year’s plan.Similarly for Kishtwar the allocation for the fiscal 2014-15 was Rs 69.86 crore which included revenue component of Rs Rs 26.30 crore. For the current fiscal, the Chief Minister announced an allocation of Rs 115.35 crore for the district which is a full capital component.Syeed also announced setting up of Skill Development Institute of international standards in Chenab Valley area to make available qualified manpower for the power projects as presently most of the skilled manpower for these projects is drawn from outside the State. He said the DPR for the Skill Development Institute should be prepared with 10 days so that the work could be started on the project within one month. He said these measures would go a long way in providing succor to the people of the region, especially the youth.
Calling for expansion and upgradation of the educational facilities and infrastructure in the area, the Chief Minister announced that a committee headed by Chairman DDB Doda with Jammu University Rector incharge Bhaderwah campus and Deputy Commissioner Doda as its members to identify the land for setting of Jammu University campus at Doda.“Our Government is committed to the development of the Chenab region as the area has very peculiar problems which need to be addressed in a focused manner,” he said and called for relaxation of norms for various centrally sponsored developmental schemes keeping in mind the topography and the difficult terrain of the region.The Chief Minister also stressed the need for improving and upgrading the road connectivity in the Chenab Valley region. He issued on the spot instruction for expediting work on important roads under NABARD and CRF. He said till Batote-Doda road is taken over by the National Highway Corporation, PWD shall maintain the road given its importance.
To improve connectivity in the area, R&B Department was asked to prioritize PMGSY roads which have been left midway due to the cost escalation. Sayeed said the Government will try to finance the roads prioritized by the R&B Department so that they are completed within the shortest possible time.Sayeed laid stress on development of tourist infrastructure in the area to attract the tourists particularly those visiting Himachal Pradesh. He asked the Tourism Department to develop world class tourism infrastructure on Chamba-Bhaderwah road so that tourists visiting Himachal Pradesh can also visit Chenab Valley region. He announced immediate release of Rs 40 lakh for development of Bhaderwah-Bhallessa-Jai tourist circuit.
He said the Tourism Department would also create infrastructure at Tatta Paani in Marwah area of Kishtwar.
The Chief Minister said given the huge potential of medicinal and aromatic plants in the area an appropriate site would be identified in the region at the earliest for establishment of National Institute Medicine Plants. Besides, he said one Rajmash and one Zeera village would be developed in Kishtwar.
Chief Minister asked the administration to take into the account the assessment, aspirations and expectations of the legislators into consideration while framing the developmental plans. “I have decided to chair all the DDB meetings personally to ensure better rapport between legislators and officers on the ground,” he said.Responding to the issues raised by the legislators, the Chief Minister asked the Divisional Commissioner Jammu to sort out the issues of physical jurisdiction and administrative control in the area.Speaking at the meetings Dy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh and Minister for Forests, Bali Baghat, commended the resolve of the Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed in putting the State on the path of development and prosperity. They said that Chief Minister’s seriousness on the developmental front can be gauged from the fact that he has been personally attending all the DDB meetings.Speaking on the occasion, Finance Minister Dr Haseeb Drabu termed the DDBs as a critical and key institution which needs to be strengthened to take the development to the grassroots level.
The meeting was informed that Chairman DDB Doda, Sajad Gani Lone shall adopt Boys Higher Secondary School Doda while MLA Doda will adopt Girls Higher Secondary School Doda, MLA Bhaderwah Higher Secondary School Boys Bhaderwah and MLA Kishtwar will adopt Boys Higher Secondary School Kishtwar and all these schools will be developed as Model Schools. Principal Secretary Planning, B R Sharma, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, B B Vyas, Principal Secretary PDD, Sundeep Nayak, Commissioner Secretary Education, Shaleen Kabra, Secretary PHE, Irrigation & Flood Control, Parvaiz Ahmad Malik, Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Secretary to Chief Minister, M H Malik, administrative secretaries of H&UDD, Health, Heads of Departments and other senior officers also attended the meeting.Earlier, DC Doda and DC Kishtwar gave a detailed presentation of the physical and financial performance in various sectors in the district.
IMPORTANT DECISIONS
District Doda:
1. Rs 50 lakh sanctioned for restoration of Solid Waste Manage Plant Doda which was damaged due to floods
2. Rs 50 lakah sanctioned for completion of 4 High School buildings in Inderwal constituency
3. Rs 22 lakh for TRC Doda
4. Pul Doda-Doda road to be taken up under CRF
5. High School Bulandpur (Ramban) upgraded to the level of Higher Secondary School
6. To examine possibility of Lift Irrigation Scheme Jodhpur (Doda)
7. Trauma Centre Khellani to be inaugurated within 2 months
8. Irrigation Department to pursue case of Kandi Canal work
9. Fire Station approved at Gundoh (Bhaderwah)
10. Bhatyas road to be taken up under CRF
11. DPR to be prepared for road upto Bulandpur under PMGSY
Kishtwar District
1. PWD to prepare feasibility report for Dachhan-Marwah Road
2. Public park to be developed at Harghodhi, Kishtwar
3. Construction of foot-bridge at Sikhdi Inderwal.