Lakhanpur to get major attraction points: Union Minister
Jammu, Feb 13 (PTI) Union minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday said four new highway villages are coming up in and around the Jammu-Pathankot national highway in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is also developing the area around Lakhanpur, the gateway to Jammu and Kashmir, with various amenities, he added.
Chairing a meeting of the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) to review the progress of the centrally-sponsored schemes being implemented in Kathua, Singh said four new highway villages — Taraf Manjali, Taraf Bhajwal, Gurha Baildara and Gurha Mundian — are coming up in and around the national highway in the district.
The Union minister of state in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said the NHAI is developing Lakhanpur, bordering Punjab, with various amenities that will add aesthetic value to the landscape, besides opening avenues of employment for the locals.
He also reviewed the progress of ongoing mega projects such as the Ujh, Shahpur Kandi barrages and biotech park and emphasised the importance of a timely completion of these projects.
Addressing the officers present on the occasion, Singh said the aim of holding the DISHA meeting is to identify any impediments in a smooth implementation of welfare schemes so that effective solutions can be worked out.
He asked the officers to ensure that the benefits of all government schemes reach the genuine beneficiaries in a time-bound manner.
He stressed the importance of complete involvement of PRIs for an effective implementation of schemes by the district administration in their respective areas.
Singh had a detailed review of the physical and financial achievements recorded under different centrally-sponsored schemes being implemented in the district by various departments.
He urged the officers concerned to ensure 100 per cent coverage of beneficiaries under the schemes.
Regarding the issue of monkey menace highlighted by various representatives, the minister suggested that the expertise of IIIM and SKUAST-J can be utilised for a scientific solution of the problem so that only those crops are sown which are resistant to attacks by monkeys.
He also laid thrust on exploiting the scope for an optimum use of the bamboo crop under the Bamboo Mission as Kathua is blessed with abundant availability of the plant species.
Later, the minister inaugurated the “Sansad Khel Spardha” event at the Sports Stadium in Kathua.
He said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given a new direction to the field of science and technology with a focus on startups, which was evident this year on the beating retreat ceremony where a “Drone Light Show” put up by a startup mesmerised the nation by lighting the sky with the tricolour.
Singh said another area that is being highly prioritised under Modi is sports.
He urged the youngsters to optimally utilise the Arun Jaitley Stadium, the third largest stadium in the country, being developed at Hiranagar in Jammu.
Earlier, the minister also flagged off the Kathua leg of Jammu and Kashmir’s first free telemedicine service, “Doctor on wheels”, which will provide expert medical consultation at the doorsteps of people in the rural areas.
KV Network
