Visits villages on LoC, Pays obeisance at Hazrat Miran Baksh Sahab’s shrine

Announces 2KM link road for Kirni and Mandhar; 50M bridge

Poonch: Minister for Public Works, Floriculture and Gardens & Parks (Chairman DDB Poonch), Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari chaired review meeting of District Development Board Poonch here this evening.

Legislators, Javed Ahmed Rana, Shah Mohammad Tantray, Ch. Mohammad Akram, Dr. Shehnaz Ganai and Yashpal Sharma, Commissioner Secretary R&B, Rohit Kansal, District Development Commissioner, Mohammad Harun Malik, Senior Superintendent of Police, J S Johar, Chief Engineers of PDD, PMGSY, R&B besides HoDs and district officers of different departments attended the meeting.

The Minister took a thorough review of the decisions taken in the DDB meeting this year. While emphasizing on the utilization of 100 per cent funds  provided under district plan, state plan and other centrally sponsored schemes, the Minister impressed upon all the heads of the departments and sectoral officers present in the meeting to ensure implementation of all the board decisions taken during the DDB meeting this year. He said the Government will attend to all the developmental needs of district Poonch and the focus shall remain on Health, education, PHE, R&B and RDD departments besides other important departments. He said that it is very important to provide health care to the people living in far-flung and border areas of the district. The minister exhorted the officers to work with dedication and perform so that additionality under the district plan can be claimed. He asked the officers of YSS and PHE to improve their performance and commended the RDD for effective implementation of various schemes and utilization of funds.

Out of an approved outlay of Rs. 17328.2 lacs, Rs. 5643.74 lacs were made available to different departments, an expenditure of Rs. 4014.63 lacs 71.13% has been made, DDC Poonch informed the minister while presenting a detailed review of the District Plan and implementation of the decisions taken by the DDB in June 2015.

The Board was informed that financial performance of Animal Husbandry and Fisheries ending November 2015 was 85.20% and 84.67% respectively while the Department of Soil Conservation and Forest (T) achieved   99.42% and 84.03% of the financial targets. Similarly, the financial achievement of Social Forestry was 49.60%, MGNREGA 71.89%, IAY/RHS 86.69%, PWD(R&B) 80.57%, Power 87.94%, Irrigation 59.48%, EM&RE 99. 47%, PHE 70.51% and Urban Development 94. 14%. Education and Health have registered 87.39% and 58.80% achievements respectively.

As far the physical achievements under MGNREGA and IAY 1652 out of 8589 and 189 out of 1218 approved works have respectively been completed. In EM&RE, Repair and Replacement of 160 transformers of various capacities has been done as against the target of 205. In Health sector, 2  Sub centers, 2 AD’s and 2 MO Quarters are in progress.  In PHE Coverage of 2 numbers of targeted habitations is in progress while as 750 households out of targeted 1570 has been covered.

Under NRDWP  05 habitations have been covered out of targeted 15 and 2274 households have been covered out of targeted 9386. Similarly, under PMGSY, out of 109 targeted habitations, 77 have been connected ending November 2015. 62 schemes have been completed having length of 253.40 Km.

In PWD (R&B) 3.43 km Length of fair weather road has been constructed, 7.10km of fair weather road has been metalled and 7.00km shingled. Eight bridges / culverts have also been constructed/completed. 36 Kms length has been macadamized till date against targeted length of 100 kms in the district.

Additional two spans of  SK Bridge Poonch, Mini Secretariat Poonch, and  Mendhar and Construction of ADR ( Alternate Dispute Resolution ) Centre Court Complex Poonch besides other important motorable bridges in the district will be completed by the end of this financial year.

Up-gradation of Mandi-Poonch road, Construction of building for polytechnic college, development of KC Park is in progress while for conservation of Poonch fort and town hall will be done by INTACH once MoU is signed by the tourism department with INTACH, the Board was informed. The feasibility for revival of cement plant at Sathra and Gondola service from Loran to Tosha Maidan is being considered. GHSSs of Surankote and Mendhar are being developed as model school.

Earlier in the day, the minister visited the Shrine of Hazrat Sain Miran Baksh Sahab at Guntrian and paid obeisance there. He directed the DDC and PWD authorities to furnish a project report for construction of stairs in the vicinity of the Shrine under pilgrimage tourism. The minister directed the PMGSY authorities to provide connectivity to Mandhar and Kirni villages located on the Line of Control.  The 2 km road including a 50m bridge will be constructed as an extension of PMGSY road at village Qasba. The Minister also directed the Chief Engineer R&B to submit project report for Qasba to Upper Qasba and Qasba to Kirni roads as an extension of Noona Bandhi to India Gate road. Besides, the minister also directed the PMGSY authorities for repair of Guntrian to Shahpur road which in a dilapidated condition.

Meanwhile, Bukhari also conducted an extensive tour of different wards of Poonch Municipality and later also directed the Director Local Bodies for improving lanes, drains and the sanitation scenario in the town.

MLA Haveli, MLC Yashpal Sharma, Commissioner Secretary R&B, DDC, SSP, Chief Engineers of R&B and PMGSY also accompanied the minister. (KNS)