Minister for Jal Shakti, Forest, Ecology & Environment and Tribal Affairs, Javed Ahmed Rana, today met several deputations from Jammu division and took stock of their issues and concerns. He addressed a wide range of public grievances spanning drinking water supply, forest rights, tribal welfare, employment and other issues directly bearing on the daily lives of the people.
During his interaction with the delegations, the Minister emphasised that the government under the leadership of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah remains deeply committed towards addressing the aspirations of every section of society.
Such public interface programmes serve as a vital bridge between the administration and the people, he added. The delegations raised concerns over irregular and inadequate supply of potable water, particularly in rural and semi-urban localities.
They also raised the issue of defunct handpumps at certain locations and urged the intervention of the Minister in this regard. The Minister directed the concerned Jal Shakti officials to conduct field assessments and ensure uninterrupted supply of clean drinking water on priority.
The deputations also flagged issues related to water scarcity for agriculture and livestock, urging expeditious execution of the pending irrigation and lift-water schemes. The Minister assured the delegations that such schemes would be fast-tracked and directed the divisional officers to submit status reports without delay
On forest-related matters, several representations sought expeditious processing of claims under the Forest Rights Act. The Minister directed the Forest Department to examine each case on merit and ensure that genuine claimants receive their due rights under the law.
Tribal delegations brought the issue of slow progress of development works under tribal sub-plans to the Minister’s notice and demanded new Eklavya Model Residential Schools in underserved tribal belts. Representations concerning employment opportunities were also received, with youth delegations urging the government to explore avenues for enhancing the livelihood and employment prospects.
Other issues raised before the Minister included demand for construction and repair of link roads connecting the remote habitations, resolution of revenue and land record disputes and upgradation of health and educational facilities. Rana assured the delegations that all representations received would be examined and forwarded to the concerned departments for time-bound redressal.