STATE TIMES NEWS
SRINAGAR: Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control, Sukhnandan Kumar Choudhary and Minister for Education, Naeem Akhtar on Tuesday conducted an extensive tour of Sonawari area including Sumbal, Hajin, Khanpeth, Zalpora and Nowgam and took stock of flood damaged re-construction works taken up under PHE, irrigation, and education sector in these areas.
Legislators, Yasir Reshi and Sofi Yousuf, Secretary, PHE, I&FC, DC Bandipore, Chief Engineers PHE and Irrigation and Flood Control besides other concerned officers and engineers accompanied the Ministers during the tour.
The ministers during their tour inspected the breach sites along the banks of River Jehlum at Bangitaar, Hajin and Nallah Ferozpore at Zalpora. They directed the concerned officers to prepare Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) immediately for construction of protection walls and submit the same for approval. They further called for desilting of the said water bodies, so as to avoid such flood like situation in future.
At Hajin, the ministers took stock of the status of work on Filtration Plant which is being built at an estimated cost of Rs 7.50 Cr. They asked the concerned to speed up the pace of work so that the said project is completed in a time bound manner, adding that after completion the plant would help address long pending demand of the people of the area for quality drinking water.
The Ministers also inspected the progress on under execution WSS Zalpora-Nowgam Payeen and directed concerned executing agency for its completion within 2 months.
Meanwhile, the Education Minister, during the visit to GHSS Hajin announced introduction of Commerce subject in the institution and asked for arrangement of staff for the same on need basis arrangement till regular subject specific staff is made available.
Showing concern over poor performance of the school in recently declared results, the minister urged the teachers to redouble their efforts in order to improve the results in this session, adding that their performance shall be closely monitored.
Naeem directed the Principal to upgrade the laboratory immediately and instructed construction of toilets in the school. He also asked the school authorities for promotion of extra co-curricular activities like trekking, water sports etc.
Earlier, the ministers at a district officers meeting reviewed the developmental activities carried out under PHE, I&FC and Education Sector in the area.
During the meeting the ministers were apprised that 132 lift stations are functional as on date, out of which 45 are meant for irrigational purposes, while as 86 are for dewatering in Sonawari sub division. It was further given out that proposal for 35 new lift irrigation schemes is being prepared, out of these 15 will be raised under World Bank funding.