Minister for Rural Development, Panchayati Raj, Law and Justice Abdul Haq Khan today dedicated various assets to the public constructed by the Department of Rural Development Department under various schemes including MGNREGS in Reasi.The Minister was accompanied by Minster of State for Finance and Planning, Ajay Nanda, DC Reasi Paarsanna Ramaswamy G, SP Reasi, ACD Reasi, SDM, BDOs and other senior officers of the district administration.Abdul Haq inaugurated the Community Facilitation Centre at Panthal block constructed at the cost of Rs. 45.21 lakh under 13th FC.The Minister also inaugurated Panchayat Ghar at Lalori Dhanori in Katra and Block Development Council building at Reasi constructed at the cost of Rs. 30 lakh under 13th FC.Speaking on the occasion, Abdul Haq said the government aims to provide all the facilities to the people living in rural areas at par with the urban areas. He said that he wants to bridge the rural urban divide by developing rural areas so that the Rural to Urban migration is reversed.He further said that MGNREGA has been very successful in changing the socio-economic status of the rural areas as durable assets have been created in villages besides providing employment to the unskilled youth.He said under the scheme, the government focused on rural connectivity which is the first step towards development of any society. He said a network of roads have been laid in the state to connect rural population and ease out their problems which they have faced in past owing to lack of connectivity.
Abdul Haq said that Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti is keen to see development in rural areas and she regularly reviews the works taken up by the department in rural areas. He said the day will come when the rural to urban migration will reverse and people from urban areas will migrate to rural areas for want of jobs.The Minister said after focusing on rural connectivity for three years, now the government will focus on water conservation by constructing check dams, Sars, Bowlies besides taking other measures to raise the water table in the state especially in Kandi areas.Speaking on the occasion Ajay Nanda said the government under the stewardship of Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, is relentlessly focusing on strengthening of rural economy as engine of growth. The government is uplifting rural poor through a number of key initiatives related to rural housing and infrastructure, farm income, job creation and entrepreneurship promotion, he added. He said for the first time, durable assets are being created under MGNREGS and that too in a time bound manner. He said the works done under the scheme in vast were never visible on ground but now those works are being taken up under the scheme that are beneficial for the common masses and that a revolutionary change has been witnessed with regard to the development of rural areas.