UDHAMPUR, MAY 19: Vice Chairperson District Development Council (DDC)Udhampur Juhi Manhas Pathania today visited Government Higher Secondary School, Tikri where she met with students, staff, and local residents to assess public grievances firsthand.
The visit was followed by a review meeting at her office, attended by public delegations, PRIs, and senior officers from key departments. The meeting served as a platform for civic representatives to voice pressing concerns, particularly those exacerbated by the ongoing heat-wave, and for the administration to reaffirm its commitment to proactive and responsive governance.
Delegations from across the district presented detailed memoranda seeking augmentation of water supply, adequate electricity supply, meeting of infrastructure gaps and better health care facilities to cope with health vulnerabilities due to extreme weather conditions.
Notably, DDC Member from Latti–Marothi Pinki Devi, also took the opportunity to highlight the longstanding demand for a public bus service between Udhampur and Panchoud (Chappar). She stressed that lack of reliable transport is severely affecting students, patients, and daily commuters in the area The Vice Chairperson attentively engaged with each delegation, acknowledging the urgency of their concerns and issuing firm directives for immediate redressal.
She emphasized that essential services must not falter under seasonal pressure, and directed officers to adopt a zero-delay approach in providing relief to the affected population. “We cannot allow the public to suffer due to administrative inertia. Departments must respond with speed, seriousness, and sensitivity,” she stated.
A key agenda of the meeting was an in-depth review of the Jal Jeevan Mission, the national flagship programme aimed at providing assured tap water supply to every rural household. The Vice Chairperson instructed concerned departments to mobilize resources, eliminate delays, and ensure last-mile delivery with urgency. She also called for immediate operationalization of incomplete water supply schemes and the deployment of tankers or temporary water points wherever necessary.
“The Jal Jeevan Mission is not a formality—it is a foundational right of every household, especially at a time when access to clean drinking water can mean the difference between well-being and hardship,” she asserted.
The Vice Chairperson further instructed all departments—including Public Health Engineering, Rural Development, Power Development, and Health—to remain in active field mode, conduct doorstep inspections, and report weekly progress directly to her office. She also directed that helplines be made functional 24/7 and that grievances be resolved within strict timelines.
Reiterating her vision of citizen-first governance, she added: “Our administration will be judged not by files moved but by relief delivered. The people must feel the presence of the government in every village and ward.”
The meeting concluded with a unanimous resolve to convert the challenges of the season into an opportunity for improved service delivery, deeper public engagement, and accelerated development outcomes.
The Vice Chairperson also expressed gratitude to the delegations for articulating public concerns constructively and assured them that each issue raised would be monitored to closure.
