Dr Rashmi Singh addresses public grievances, highlights cultural initiatives

KATHUA, February 22: Commissioner Secretary, Hospitality and Protocol, Dr. Rashmi Singh, today convened an extensive public outreach programme to assess and address public grievances besides reviewing development projects being executed in the district.

Deputy Commissioner, Dr. Rakesh Minhas, Additional District Development Commissioner, Ankur Mahajan and representatives of various delegations were present on the occasion.

The event recorded an overwhelming response from all sections of the society, with people apprising the Commissioner Secretary of their issues concerning welfare and development of their respective areas seeking speedy redressal of the same.

Dr. Rashmi Singh emphasized the combined role of public representatives and administrative machinery in ensuring effective implementation of development works. She called upon the stakeholder departments to adopt meticulous planning, which is crucial for enhanced execution of development projects.

Highlighting the initiative taken up by the Hospitality and Protocol Department to promote cultural profile of J&K, Dr Rashmi Singh mentioned that JK Utsav is being organized in New Delhi to showcase the diverse cultural heritage and traditional artifacts of the UT including Basohli paintings and Pashmina work.

Earlier, DDC members from Marheen and Parole raised issues concerning their respective areas, including provision of free electricity to BPL families and farmers in border areas, early initiation of protection work for flash flood-prone areas near Tarnah Nallah and approval for utilizing CAPEX saving funds for developmental projects.

DDC member, Nagri, demanded availability of critical care ambulances in Nagri, protection walls in flood-prone areas of Nagri constituency, which are vulnerable due to water rise in Ujh tributaries, especially during the monsoon.

Dr  Rashmi Singh, while interacting with line departments, called for adopting a public friendly approach in resolving issues of public importance by making optimum use of existing resources. She emphasized that public darbar is a platform to obtain first hand appraisal of issue at grassroots level, reducing the communication gap between the public and the administration.

The Commissioner Secretary listened to the grievances of civil society members assuring them an early redressal of the same.

The Commissioner Secretary directed the district officers to resolve the issues highlighted by the attendees on priority basis.