Advisor to Lieutenant Governor Farooq Khan today visited Panchayat Aghar Jitto in connection with the ongoing back to Village-2 programme.Applauding recent developments in Jammu and Kashmir, the Advisor said that step by step Panchayat Raj Institutions are being empowered in J&K with devolution of appropriate powers. He also said that Back to Village is not just a development initiative but a medium to develop organic relationship between government and the masses.Advisor Khan hailed the Union Government for introducing numerous welfare schemes and said that the nation can develop only after proper awareness is generated to facilitate percolation of the intended benefits to the masses. He also directed senior officials from essential services departments to take people into confidence while providing public services.Referring to the proximity of the Panchayat with holy town of Katra, the Advisor advised the locals to switch to organic farming and provide the produce to the ever-busy tourist destination of Katra. He also called for taking similar eco-friendly measures at all religious places of the district in view of huge tourist influx.
In her address, the DDC asked Panchayts to identify and tap unexplored resources for revenue generation. She also urged the members of Panchayati Raj Institutions to thoroughly study the Panchayati Raj Act to get better acquainted to powers being vested to PRIs.The DDC announced that the funds under 14th Finance Commission have already been received and would soon be put to use. She also announced that Rs 5 crore have been received by the district after Back to Village-1. She announced that the district has been selected to benefit under the first phase of Jal Jivan Mission- an initiative under which all households would be provided tap water by June 2020.On the occasion, sanitary pads were donated to Menstrual Health Management Committee of the school. DDC Indu Kanwal Chib also shed light on MHM and urged people to fight taboos around the subject of menstrual hygiene and breast cancer. A song on evils of drug addiction was also presented by culture-team of Department of Information & Public Relations.Those present at the meeting included District Development Commissioner, Indu Kanwal Chib; Additional DDC, Ramesh Chander; SSP Reasi, Rashmi Wazir; Assistant Commissioner Development, Sunil Sharma; District Panchayat Officer, Parvinder Kaur and elected members of Panchayati Raj Institutions among district officers and locals.