Deputy Commissioner and CEO, LAHDC, Kargil Baseer ul Haq Choudhary on Saturday conducted an extensive tour of Sodh block during which he took stock of the pace of progress on developmental works and listened to the grievances and developmental concerns of the people.Assistant Commissioner Development (ACD) Kargil Ghulam Muhammad, Executive Engineers of R&B, PHE, I&FC, REW and PDD, CMO, CEO besides other concerned officers accompanied the DC during the tour.To take first hand appraisal of the developmental needs and demands of the people, the Deputy Commissioner met a number of delegations at Mangmore, Akchamal, Sharbathgon, Tumail, Yurbaltak, Apati, Barchay and adjoining villages who projected demands which included the augmentation of water and power supply, up gradation of schools and health institutions, construction of lift irrigation schemes, repair of irrigation khuls, water supply schemes and hand pumps, macadamization of link roads, development of animal and sheep husbandry, land and tree compensation due to flood damage and other related demands.Other issues highlighted by the people included construction of snow check dams and artificial glaciers, filling up of the posts of lecturers, teachers and Class IV in schools of the area, opening up of tailoring and knitting centres for ladies, provision of agricultural and horticulture machinery and implements on subsidized rates and the like.The DC while giving a patient hearing to all developmental concerns and demands of the people assured them all genuine concerns would be addressed in a phased manner.Baseer said that keeping in view the problems faced by people of Sodh block due to the area being a water scarcity hit zone, several concrete short term and long term measures would be initiated to provide people satisfactory water supply for drinking as well as irrigational purposes.The DC said that as a short term measure several water conservation and recharge measures would be initiated on priority basis under the Jal Shakti Abhiyan, 14th Finance, Back to Village as well as MGNREGA schemes which includes the construction of artificial glaciers, reservoirs, ponds, repairs of khuls and irrigation canals, trenches, water recharge pits in the proximity of hand pumps, water storage tanks in schools, Government buildings and homes for snow and rain water harvesting and other related measures.
The DC assured people that all such works in different villages of Sodh block would be completed by the end of October this year. He also said that adequate funds would be provided to ensure that water augmentation works are completed in a satisfactory manner. He also directed the ACD Kargil and Executive Engineer PHE to immediately send their teams to the area to frame works to be undertaken as per the actual requirements of the people on ground.Baseer said that to further augment the provision of irrigational and drinking water facilities to the people of Sodh area, concrete measures would be taken to make Sodh Lift Irrigation Scheme operation before the onset of agricultural season next year.The DC urged the PRI members as well as people to actively participate in the planning and execution of developmental works in their respective areas so as to make the development process more effective, beneficial and result oriented.Meanwhile, the DC also took stock of the status of healthcare facilities and the status of education being imparted to the students in the area.At Government Higher Secondary School Yurbaltak the DC inquired about the roll of students and teaching facilities available to students in the institution. He also interacted with the students and advised them to strive hard and work fearlessly with extreme passion and commitment to achieve their career goals.The DC also asked teachers of the Higher Secondary School to discharge their allotted duties with utmost dedication and commitment as the destiny of the generations to come depends largely on their guidance and supervision.Baseer while taking stock of healthcare facilities available to patients at NTPHC Akchamal and other health canters urged doctors and paramedical staff to work with dedication and commitment in providing best possible health services to people. He also asked them to visit different villages in the area on weekly basis to conduct health awareness programs on common health problems, communicable and non-communicable diseases and the like.While inquiring from the officers accompanying him about the pace of progress on developmental works in different sectors in the area, the DC stressed them to ensure completion of the works within the set timelines while taking due care of quality parameters.People of Sodh block expressed their indebtedness to the DC for having visited their area to take first hand appraisal of their grievances and developmental needs.