Govt contemplating special category of backward areas for faster dev: Omar

Network of mini-hydel power projects yielding immediate results would be established with support from Ministry of N&RE

Rousing reception was accorded at Tangdhar to Chief Minister Mr. Omar Abdullah when he reached this far-flung area today morning. There were thousands of people on the sides and on rooftops who were waiting from wee hours to receive their leader.

Unprecedented number of people attended the largest-ever gathering at Tangdhar where the Chief Minister announced that a new developmental chapter will be opened for far-flung regions, particularly backward areas.

Addressing the well-attended gathering in this north Kashmir border village today, the Chief Minister said that the government is contemplating to carve out a special category of backward pockets comprising most difficult and hitherto left underdeveloped areas to focus on their speedier and integrated development. “Without disturbing the position, status and benefits of declared backward areas, the special category would receive additional attention in the process of development,” he said.

The Chief Minister was addressing a well-attended public gathering in the border village of Tangdhar in north Kashmir today.

Mr. Abdullah said comprehensive economic reconstruction and up-gradation of basic amenities in remote and far off areas has been recognized as the most important concern in the development policy of the State. “Steps are afoot to implement multi-faceted and multi-lateral development programmes in these areas for the good of people,” he said and added, “It is my keen desire to serve people in far-flung backward areas by taking government to their doorsteps and delivering on ground.”

Referring to the difficult accessibility of areas like Machhil, Keran, Gurez, Tulel, Dachhan, Marwah, Wardan and Tangdhar, which remain cut off during winter months, the Chief Minister assured special attention of his government for development of these areas. “The next five-and-a-half years of his government would be dedicated to total development of the State with special attention on progress of backward areas,” he said.

Mr. Abdullah said the government is also proposing to launch schemes for harnessing power potential in hilly backward areas by installing mini-hydel projects up to 25 MWs. “This would not only help to energize and electrify far off villages through indigenous and locally-generated electricity, but also open vistas of development and employment generation in these areas,” he said and added that he has taken up this issue with the Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Dr. Farooq Abdullah who, he said is himself keen to reach out to the potential areas in the State for power generation.

The Chief Minister said he has asked Director General Police to launch a special police recruitment drive in areas like Tangdhar, adding that similarly engagement of Class IV employees in such areas would be put on fast-track. He said he has issued instructions for fresh BPL survey so that complaints received in this regard are addressed and no deserving is left out of the ambit of BPL benefits.

Mr. Abdullah said special incentives would be paid to doctors for serving in far-flung and difficult areas, adding a scheme for the purpose is in pipeline with the assistance of Union Health Ministry. The incentives under the scheme would be both for doctors and paramedical staff working in most difficult areas.

The Chief Minister announced a team, headed by SDM, Karnah, to look into complaints about payments of compensation to earthquake-affected people in the area. He directed Deputy Commissioner to visit Tangdhar at least once every month to monitor development works and hear public grievances for on-spot redressal.

Mr. Abdullah, while responding to demand for creation of special Sub-Division of PDD in Tangdhar to look after generation, transmission and maintenance, said the demand would be looked into favourably in its right perspective.

MLA, Karnah, Mr. Kafil-ur-Rehman, in his speech, welcomed the Chief Minister for visiting the remote area, hearing people’s development demands and issuing on-spot instructions for redressal of grievances. He also listed various development requirements of the area and requested for special package for the development of Karnah constituency.

The Chief Minister also inaugurated the new building of Khawerpora Boys High School in Tangdhar for which Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, had provided Rs. 20 lakh out of his Member Parliament Constituency Development Fund.

Mr. Abdullah also presided over an officers’ meeting and reviewed pace of work on various schemes. He reviewed Border Areas Development Programme (BADP), Prime Minister’s Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), Accelerated Rural Water Supply Programme (ARWSP), National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), Indira Awas Yojana (IAY) and other schemes under implementation in the area and asked officers to be responsive and prompt to people’s calls. “You should visit every area to get firsthand appraisal of people’s requirements, besides monitoring pace of progress on works”, he said and stressed on completion of schemes within the prescribed timeframe.