The Chief Minister, Ms Mehbooba Mufti Tuesday reviewed arrangements for Muharram at a high-level meeting here. She stressed on ensuring availability and provision of essential supplies including power, water, healthcare, ration and fuel to the people during Muharram days.Also present in the meeting were Chairman, Legislative Council, Haji Anayat Ali, Minister for Public Works and Parliamentary Affairs, Abdul Rehman Veeri, Minister for Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Choudhary Zulfkar Ali, Minister for PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control, Sham Lal Chaudhary, Minister for Information Technology, Technical Education and Youth Services & Sports, Imran Raza Ansari, Minister of State for Housing & Urban Development Social Welfare, Health & Medical Education, Asiea Naqash, Minister of State for Hajj & Auqaf, PHE and Irrigation & Flood Control, Power Development, Industries & Commerce, Syed Farooq Ahmad Andrabi and Legislators, Aga Sayeed Bakar Rizvi and Abid Hussain Ansari.
Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Baseer Ahmad Khan, presented a detailed report at the meeting regarding the arrangements made for Muharram in Kashmir Division. He said elaborate plan has been prepared to ensure proper arrangements with regard to essential supplies including drinking water, uninterrupted power supply, fire services, street lighting, ration, traffic management, fire wood and security.
The Divisional Commissioner further informed that availability of LPG and food-grains have also been ensured. He said Control Rooms have been established at district level which shall be manned by officers from all essential services to monitor the arrangements. He said availability of medicines and ambulances have also been ensured and certain PHC and Trauma centres shall be kept operational round the clock, for the purpose. The Chief Minister laid emphasis on hassle-free transport facilities and availability of essential supplies viz power, drinking water and firewood so as to avoid any kind of inconvenience to the people during Muharram.The Chief Minister announced issuance of additional 1 kg of sugar per family in Shia dominated areas and ration under MMSFES (Mufti Mohammad Sayeed Food Entitlement Scheme) at major Imam Baras to be identified by Div Com during Muharram. Ms Mehbooba also asked for ensuring functionality of the streetlights around Imam Baras and other places associated with Muharram processions and Majalis. “Adequate healthcare facilities, arrangements for uninterrupted power supply and street lighting in the said areas during Muharram days must be made certain,” she observed.
Ms Mehbooba also asked the concerned to carry out special sanitation drives to ensure cleanliness especially around Imam Baras during the month.Commissioner Secretary, H&UD also apprised the Chief Minister with regard to efforts and arrangements made to ensure functionality of street lighting and special sanitation drives in various Shia dominated areas in the State.The Chief Minister also sought status from Chief Engineer, Kashmir with regard to condition of roads leading to Imam Baras and on traditional procession routes. The Chief Engineer was asked to ensure that all necessary repair work should be carried out wherever required on such roads.The Chief Minister was informed by IGP, Kashmir Zone that Police will set up Special Control Rooms to ensure security and coordination of activities of all departments connected with making arrangements for Muharram. It was informed that around 350 volunteers from Home Guard and Red Cross would be assigned duties to supplement and facilitate the efforts of the administration to provide necessary services to the people during Muharram days.IGP Traffic also spelt out the elaborate arrangements made by the department with regard to identification of routes, parking places and overall traffic regulation and management.
The Chief Minister was also provided an update on the special arrangements made with regard to Muharram in district Jammu, Poonch and other Shia dominated areas of Jammu division.Making his remarks, Chairman, Legislative Council, called upon the divisional administration to ensure adequate facilities to people in Kargil during Muharram days. It was informed arrangements for uninterrupted electricity supply, in Kargil and other Shia dominated areas in Srinagar, Budgam and Baramulla districts, with facility of standby generator back up has been made.Also present were Financial Commissioner Planning and Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, B B Vyas, Director General of Police, K Rajendra Kumar, Special DGP Coordination (Law & Order), Dr. S. P. Vaid, concerned Administrative Secretaries, Senior Officers from Police, Heads of Departments and other senior officers from divisional and district administration also attended the meeting.