Advisor to Governor, K K Sharma today directed the development authorities of Jammu and Srinagar to come up with a comprehensive and futuristic plan for ensuring development of the twin capital cities.The Advisor was speaking at 83th BoD of Jammu Development Authority(JDA) and 78th BoD of Srinagar Development Authority(SDA) respectively here. The twin Board of Directors (BoD) meetings were attended by Financial Commissioner Finance Dr Arun Mehta, Principal Secretary Housing and Urban Development Deeraj Gupta, Secretary Revenue Abdul Majeed Bhat, Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Baseer Ahmed Khan, DC Srinagar Shahid Choudhary, VCs of SDA and JDA Sajad Ahmed Ganie and Vikas Sharma, Municipal Commissioners of Jammu and Srinagar and other senior officers.Divisional Commissioner Jammu and Deputy Commissioner Jammu participated via videoconferencing in the meeting.While reviewing the functioning of authorities, the Advisor directed undertaking measures so that the housing needs of the people living in the twin cities and its catchments are augmented for fulfilling their economic, education and other related needs.Maintaining that proper utilization of land is challenge for every land management authority, the Advisor called for futuristic planning so that new and durable assets can be created.
He said that the authority should also take a cue from other developmental authorities in the country and replicate their successful models here.The Advisor also directed the officers to ensure that there is no violation of prescribed guidelines besides identifying and roping in expert agencies in the field for handholding in planning, designing, execution, marketing and monitoring of the projects.While advising officers to explore possibility of development of housing colonies on PPP mode, the Advisor also directed undertaking measures for popularising vertical constructions in the twin cities. He said that the same would ensure rationalised and effective use of the land assets.The Advisor also directed the agencies to work in close coordination so that need-based development of the state is ensured according to the parameters guiding the unique topography environment and other related things."The recent catastrophic floods, environmental concerns and other related things should also be kept in mind while making the developmental plans of the two cities so that necessary mechanism can be put in place to address these," he said.The meeting also discussed several other issues related to construction of assets, identification of land for various government flagship schemes, allotment issues and HR issues of the employees working in the twin authorities.