Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary BB Vyas directs officials to expedite development works

Jammu: To speed up developmental works in border areas of Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district, Chief Secretary BB Vyas has directed officials to remove hurdles by taking appropriate action in a week’s time.

The officer gave the directions at a high-level meeting here to review the overall development scenario and implementation of various ongoing projects on Saturday, an official spokesman said.

The meeting discussed issues, including land acquisition, compensation, and forest clearance, hindering development projects, he said.

The chief secretary asked officers to speed up ongoing projects and directed them to monitor these to ensure their completion on time, the spokesman said.

District Development Commissioner Tariq Ahmad Zargar apprised Vyas about the physical and financial status of ongoing development works, and the programmes taken up by various agencies and departments in Poonch.

Zargar also informed the chief secretary about the shortage of equipment and staff, especially radiologists, in the district hospital, and requested for similar infrastructure in sub-district hospitals and health centres.

Commissioner Secretary, Health and Medical Education, Pawan Kotwal said that the department was taking steps to fill vacancies of doctors, the spokesman said.

Reviewing the progress of newly-created infrastructure for the health sector, Kotwal directed the chief medical officer, Poonch, to immediately take over the new buildings constructed under the National Rural Health Mission and submit a report on the requirement of medical equipment and furniture.

During the meeting, Zargar also raised the issue of restoration of a 132 KV transmission line.

The spokesman said that the chief secretary visited the sites of various ongoing projects, including the secretariat building, indoor sports stadium, Anganwadi Integrated Child Development Services Centre in the town.