Terming the Red Cross movement as a reflex action for aid and assistance, Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti today asked the organization to include many more health related initiatives and disaster preparedness into its charter of activities.Making her observations during the inauguration of a two day Red Cross mela here today, the Chief Minister, who is also the Vice Chairperson of J&K Red Cross Society, advised the organisation to widen its scope of activities in the State by including programmes on children and women’s health, trainings in emergency response and first aid and other related subjects in its list of activities. By doing so, she said, the organisation would also be helping in successful execution of many of the programmes devised by the Government for the purpose.Mehbooba Mufti specifically invited the attention of the organisation in its role in disaster management and advised its functionaries to train more and more volunteers in disaster response and help in creating relevant hardware and software in the State in this regard.
Terming Red Cross as the emblem of humanity, the Chief Minister recalled the role of the organisation in providing humanitarian aid and assistance across the globe during extreme situations of war, famine, floods and other natural or man-made disturbances. She said the commitment and dedication displayed by the volunteers and members of the organisation is praiseworthy and worth emulating.National Vice Chairman, IRCS, Avinash Rai Khanna in his remarks also underscored the need for more involvement of Red Cross movement in securing health objectives for the people of the State. He assured all support to the J&K Red Cross Society in its humanitarian activities.Earlier on her arrival, the Chief Minister visited several stalls put up at the venue. She evinced keen interest in the pieces of art put on display depicting the ill effects of drugs. She joined the young artists for a while and complimented them for their works.Divisional Commissioner, Jammu, Dr. Pawan Kotwal; General Secretary, J&K Red Cross Society, Muhammad Shafi Rather; Red Cross volunteers and students from various educational institutions were present on the occasion.