Chief Secretary, B V R Subrahmanyam Friday chaired a video conference with Deputy Commissioners to review the restoration of essential services and availability of essential commodities following heavy snow fall in Kashmir Division and pars of Jammu Division.Commissioner/ Secretary, PW(R&B), Secretary, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Secretary, PDD and other senior officers participated in the meeting.Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Managing Director, Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL) participated in the meeting through video conferencing.Chief Secretary was briefed by the Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir and DCs regarding restoration of power supply, water supply, snow clearance and about the stock and supply position of ration, petroleum products, LPG and Medicine.Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir informed that Power and Water Supply position in Kashmir Valley is by and large comfortable despite heavy snow fall. He said 80% of the main roads across Kashmir Division have been cleared of snow and snow clearance operations are going on 24x7. He said men and machinery of the Municipalities and Town Area Committees have been deployed to clear lanes and by lanes in Srinagar City and other Towns.Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir informed that 22 new Snow clearance machines have reached Srinagar and these will be deployed to different districts in the next two days and immediately pressed into service for snow clearance operations. It was informed that four sophisticated Snow Cutter Machines will arrive by March 2020. Chief Secretary asked Commissioner/ Secretary, PW(R&B) to submit a proposal for more number of Sophisticated Snow Cutter Machines so that each district is adequately equipped to deal with snow fall.
Chief Secretary explicitly directed the Divisional Administration Kashmir and District Administrations of the valley to undertake round the clock snow clearance operations on all the roads, link rods and lanes in their respective areas to ensure that the difficulties of people are minimize. He also directed the field functionaries of PDD and PHE to ensure that power and water supply is maintain without any disruption and were ever the supplies have been disrupted the snags are fixed forthwith.Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir further informed that adequate stocks of ration; K-Oil and Medicine are available. He said the stock of Petroleum Products and LPG is being replenished with 70 Petroleum and LPG Trucks arriving this evening.Chief Secretary directed Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Secretary, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, DC Udhampur and DC Ramban and Traffic authorities to ensure that Petroleum and LPG Trucks are allowed to move on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway on priority towards Kashmir Valley. He asked Secretary, Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs to camp at Srinagar from January 23 to 27 and to visit various districts for taking stock of supply position of various essential commodities, LPG and Petroleum Products, so that consumers do not face any hardships.Chief Secretary asked DCs to liaise with Managing Director, Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL) with respect to any issue on account of power supply or augmentation of transformers etc.Chief Secretary observed that adequate funds have been kept at the disposal of DCs to meet any eventuality on account of snow fall and crop loss. He exhorted the DCs to disburse funds under SDRF on account of relief to the farmers affected by snowfall/ rainfall immediately.