Minister for Revenue, Hajj & Auqaf and Parliamentary affairs, Abdul Rehman Veeri today asked the Evacuee Property department to initiate the work on the projects prioritized by the Chief Minister Mehbooba during her Public Outreach Programmes.The Minister directed the concerned officers during a meeting convened to review the progress on the projects to be undertaken by the department in the state including construction of Banquet Hall, Residential Flats etc.Custodian Jammu, Mushtaq Ahmad Malik, Custodian Kashmir Bashir Ahmad Mir and Deputy Custodian Central Mohammad Salim Khan attended the meeting.During the meeting, it was informed that the projects prioritized for execution in Phase-I in Jammu division for the year 2018-19 include construction of Community Hall in Samba, Residential Flats at Purkhoo, Office cum Shopping Complex at Sunderbani and Residential Flats at Dhamwal in Jammu.In Kashmir, the projects to be executed are construction of Residential Flats at Hyderpora and Zewan in Srinagar, Community Hall at Harwan and Community/Marriage Hall at Indira Nagar Srinagar and the DPR for these two projects are under process, the officers informed the meeting.After detailed discussion on the projects and having brief presentation on site plans of these projects, the Minister informed that the foundation of Banquet Hall in Samba and Residential Flats at Purkhoo will be laid on April 26, 2018. Regarding laying of foundation of Residential Flats in Hyderpora and Zewan Srinagar in Kashmir, it was informed that it will be done in the 2nd week of May, 2018.
Veeri asked the concerned officers to complete the tendering process in time so that projects are ready for execution at the decided dates. He also asked them to take up only those projects for which, funds are available with the department.“It will be easy to complete the projects having full funds arrangement rather than taking up all the projects without earmarked funds for their execution which further hinders the completion process”, the Minister said.Addressing the officers, the Minister said that it should be the priority of the department to create productive assets which benefit the people besides generates revenue for the department also.Informing the Minister about the status of pending payments received from the various government departments/agencies against the Evacuee land they had acquired and rent collected from departmental assets, it was informed that in Jammu division, Rs 21 crore has been collected and in Kashmir division, the department has collected Rs 14 crore.The officers said that it is because of the Minister’s personal intervention and regular follow up of the cases, the department has collected Rs 10 crore recently which were pending for the long with various departments.Veeri asked the concerned to take up the remained pending cases with the concerned department so that the due payment can be collected for further utilizing in creation of assets for the benefit of people of the state.