Dedicates Gen Bipin Rawat Stadium Baramulla to public
Panchayat, ULB polls after OBC reservation process
STATE TIMES NEWS
BARAMULLA: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday said that all the districts are witnessing accelerated growth and rural Jammu and Kashmir has been transformed beyond imagination.
“We have been able to fulfill hopes and aspirations of the people to a large extent”, the Lt Governor said while joining the Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra, adding the people of Jammu and Kashmir have today better quality of life and equal economic opportunities to grow, he said.
He called for collective efforts from all sections of the society to ensure that no beneficiary is left behind.
“Our efforts towards the creation of new infrastructure, knowledge economy and achieving 100 percent saturation of schemes will ensure J&K realise its destiny,” he further added.
He said the impressive participation of the citizens during Viksit Bharat Sankalp Yatra across the UT is a reflection of the transformation that happened in J&K, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, over the past few years.
He observed the ongoing work on developing a new tourism circuit in the District will benefit areas like Mundaji, Ladoo, Kazinag, Rajpora, Rampora and Uri, and give a boost to the local economy.
I hope for snowfall in the valley as it is important for tourism in this season and for power projects, he said.
Sinha also inaugurated and laid foundation stone for development projects worth Rs 38 crore and also highlighted the key initiatives taken by the J&K Administration for the development of Baramulla District.
The Lt Governor inspected the stalls put up various departments and handed over sanction letters to beneficiaries under different government schemes. He administered ‘Hamara Sankalp Viksit Bharat’ pledge to officials and the citizens.
He also flagged off a fleet of Garbage Collection Vehicles for rural areas of the district.
The demonstration of sports activities and cultural performances received special appreciation from the Lt Governor.
The projects inaugurated by the Lt Governor include Office Accommodation for Block Development Council Tangmarg; WSS Aglar; Retrofitting works of Water Supply Schemes at Sagipora Razakpora, Achabal Doabgah, Gund Dalwash, Gani Wani Manchkhud; Sub Stations and Improvement of LT/ HT Network in the District and Model School at Government Higher Secondary School Pattan.
The projects for which foundation stones were laid by the Lt Governor include Astro Turf for Football at Sheikh-ul-Alam Stadium; 8- Lane Synthetic Athletic track Surface at Tulibal Sopore; Installation of Blow Moulded Chairs for General Bipin Rawat Stadium; Spawn Production Laboratory in Public Sector under (HADP) for Mushroom Promotion in Baramulla and Laboratory Block at Government Higher Secondary School Authoora.
Earlier, the Lieutenant Governor dedicated the Baramulla Stadium renamed after General Bipin Rawat to the public.
Paying homage to the brave soldier and military strategist, the Lt Governor remembered the service of General Bipin Rawat in North Kashmir in various capacities and his immense contribution in peace, progress and prosperity.
Safina Baig, Chairperson, District Development Council Baramulla; Lt Gen Rajiv Ghai, GOC 15 Corps; Vidhi Kumar Birdi, IGP Kashmir; Vijay Kumar Bidhuri, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir; Sarmad Hafeez, Secretary Youth Services and Sports; Minga Sherpa, Deputy Commissioner Baramulla; senior officers of Security Forces, Civil and Police administration; former PRI members; youth and people in large numbers were present.
Talking to reporters, the Lieutenant Governor asserted that Panchayat and Urban Local Bodies (ULBs) polls would “definitely” be conducted in the Union territory after the reservation for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) is implemented.
He alleged that those who deprived the local bodies of funds during their rule were now doing politics on the issue and want the situation to revert, but “we will not allow that”.
“I want to tell those colleagues of mine who were Panchs, Sarpanches and ULB representatives – after the State Reorganisation Act came into force, the reservation of other backward classes was a constitutional necessity and the administration has started the process.
“I want to assure you that after concluding this exercise, ULBs and Panchayat polls will definitely be conducted in Jammu and Kashmir. I want to assert that they will definitely be held,” Sinha said.
Sinha said some people were indulging in politics over the delay in conducting the polls, but people know their intentions.
“Some people are doing politics over the issue. Those who choked ULBs and Panchayats have started remembering them now. I do not want to say anything, but, I think the people here know very well who those people are and what their intentions are. “They want Panchayats to return to the same situation and that everything should happen through them, but, I want to assure you that we will not allow that,” he said.