POONCH, JANUARY 25: Scores of public delegations from various parts of the district today called on Minister for Jal Shakti, Forest, Ecology & Environment and Tribal Affairs, Javed Ahmed Rana at Dak Bungalow Poonch and apprised him of a range of pressing civic, developmental and sector-specific issues concerning their areas.
The delegations highlighted water-related problems being faced by residents of the city and adjoining areas, stressing the urgent need for strengthening and upgrading existing pumping stations to ensure uninterrupted and adequate water supply.
The Minister was informed about operational bottlenecks, aging infrastructure and the growing demand due to population increase.
Issues pertaining to the Public Health Engineering (PHE) Department also came up for discussion, particularly those related to the functioning of the water testing laboratory.
Employees of the PHE water testing laboratory raised concerns regarding service-related matters and sought early redressal of their long-pending grievances.
The delegations further brought to the notice of the Minister various matters related to CAMPA and afforestation activities in the district.
They emphasized the need for transparency, timely execution of plantation drives, involvement of local stakeholders and effective monitoring to ensure environmental conservation and ecological balance.
District Development Council (DDC) member Riyaz Bashir Naaz also led a separate delegation, which raised development-centric issues and sought focused attention towards improving basic amenities and accelerating ongoing projects in the area.
The Minister gave a patient hearing to all delegations and assured them that their genuine concerns would be taken up with the concerned departments on priority.
He reiterated Omar Abdullah Government’s commitment to addressing public issues in a time-bound manner and ensuring sustainable development of the district.
The Minister also directed the concerned officers to examine the issues raised and submit detailed reports for appropriate action.
