Expressing dismay over the dilapidated condition of major roads in district Poonch, Minister for Public Works, Floriculture, Parks & Gardens, Syed Mohammad Altaf Bukhari today asked the BRO authorities to immediately take up up-gradation work on Buffliaz-Surankote road warning that if it failed to start the work the maintenance of the road would be taken over by the R&B department.The Minister said this in a meeting he was chairing to review developmental works and implementation of DDB decisions.Taking serious note of encroachments in Poonch town, the Minister directed the DC and SP to start removing encroachments in the town. The situation will further deteriorate and exacerbate if we did not act now, warned the Minister adding that politicization of the issue will not be allowed.
Bukhari also directed the Deputy Commissioner to submit report regarding reorganization of Balakote Tehsil in consultation with the concerned political representative. Responding to the decision taken by DDB to set up Model health centres and model schools in each constituency, Bukhari directed the concerned authorities to identify PHCs and schools for up-gradation as model institutions.The Minister said he is fortunate enough to serve the people of Poonch as Chairman of District Development Board and he will leave indelible imprints in the developmental history of Poonch. He said all pending developmental issues in the district would be addressed in phased manner.
Besides, the Minister also reviewed other decisions taken in the DDB meeting including construction of polytechnic building at Banwat, construction of university campus, double lanning of Mandi bridge, Tosha maidan rope way, disbursement of pending land compensation, dovetailing of MGNREGA with other schemes, development of model school in each constituency, solid waste management etc. and directed the concerned officers for expediting their implementation.The meeting was told work on Sakhi Maidan-Kalai road will be started within 10 days and process for preservation of historic Poonch Fort and other heritage buildings in Poonch town has already started with the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) submitting a Detailed Project Reports for preserving heritage buildings.
MLA, Haveli, Shah Mohammad Tantray, MLA Mendhar, Javed Ahmed Rana, MLA Surankote, Ch. Mohammad Akram, MLC, Yash Pal Sharma, DC, Nisar Ahmad Wani, DIG Rajouri-Poonch Range, A K Attri, SP, J S Johar and former legislator Peer Mansoor Hussain were present in the meeting.Prior to the meeting, the Minister had a detailed discussion with the representatives of the different areas of the district and received brief from them about the development needs of their respective areas. The Minister while talking to the people said that road connectivity is primary requirement for development adding that his nomination as chairman of the District Development Board of the District Poonch is the decision of the Chief Minister, Mufti Mohammad Sayed aimed to ensure development of all sectors especially R&B sector in the District. He assured the representatives that he will do his best to come up the expectations of the people of the district and the Chief Minister who has given him this responsibility.Former legislator Peer Mansoor Hussain was also present in this meeting.