The Minister for Housing and Urban Development Sat Pal Sharma today directed the officers to speed up the pace of implementation of various programmes undertaken by the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) so that the people of Srinagar city get quality facilities and modern housing options at the earliest.The Minister was speaking at a review meeting convened to discuss the status of implementation of various initiatives being undertaken by SMC and Ramadhan preparedness.Financial Commissioner Housing and Urban Development K B Aggarwal, Commissioner SMC, VC SDA, VC LAWDA and other senior officers were also present in the meeting.The Minister while reviewing the pace of implementation of various developmental initiatives undertaken by the corporation directed for speedy completion of these within the stipulated timeframe.He said that the officers should synergize their activities for timely completion of welfare programmes and should hold regular meetings to remove bottlenecks, if any.While reviewing the implementation of the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, the Minister directed the officers to ensure that the programme is completed by June 30th and the city and all major towns and municipalities are declared as ODF. He said that the corporation should pool its activities and human resource to ensure that the programme which has been started by the Prime Minister is a success.
The Minister while reviewing the Ramadhan preparedness directed the officers to ensure that the overall cleanliness of the city especially around shrines and Mosques are ensured. He also directed the SMC Commissioner to ensure all streetlights are functional in the city and other related facilities are also provided to the devotees during the holy month.He also asked the concerned officials to form teams of different departments for checking hoarding and profiteering of essentials by business operators.The Minister also reviewed the progress of projects being executed under AMRUT and directed for speedy implementation of the prestigious programme meant to augment the civic amenities in the twin cities of Jammu and Srinagar.Terming Smart City Project as one of the most prestigious initiatives meant to provide the urban population state of art facilities the Minister called for effective coordination among different executing agencies to ensure that it is completed within the stipulated timeframe.The Minister also reviewed the implementation of the projects being undertaken under the solid waste management programme, landscaping, drainage and construction of new facilities. He directed the officer to incorporate the demands projected by the local representatives while undertaking implementation and formulation of developmental activities of their respective areas.