Governor visits Pulwama, discusses public facilities with three legislators

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, August 20

Governor NN Vohra reviewed the implementation of developmental activities with divisional and district-level officers and had an interaction with the elected representatives of Pulwama district in south Kashmir on Monday. He was accompanied by Adviser BB Vyas and Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Baseer Khan.

The Governor had extensive discussions with the elected representatives of the district — Pulwama MLA Mohammad Khalil Band, Pampore MLA Zahoor Ahmad Mir and Tral MLA Mushtaq Ahmad Shah. He sought their views on the developmental problems in the district. Issues relating to youth engagement, education, health, water supply and local industry were among the matters discussed at length.

The legislators expressed a strong interest in the forthcoming municipal and panchayat elections.

The Governor asked them to spread awareness about the importance of establishing grass-roots level democratically elected self-governing institutions in the urban and rural areas.

The review meeting chaired by the Governor was informed by Pulwama Deputy Commissioner GM Dar that 74 schemes under various programmes in the district were targeted for completion at an estimated cost of Rs 325.32 crore and the Rs 400-crore National Saffron Mission was under execution for the cultivation of high-quality saffron.

Dar said the agriculture, horticulture and allied sector export from the district was over Rs 2,000 crore per annum which included apple Rs 720 crore, milk Rs 700 crore and saffron Rs 500 crore.

Pulwama is the highest milk producing district with an annual production of 2,90,000 tonnes, besides being the largest poultry producing district in the Valley.

In addition to the Special Development Plan of Rs 2 crore, the Governor directed release of Rs 1 crore for urgent completion of Bus Stand, Pulwama, Rs 1 crore for completion of Mini Secretariat at Tral with Rs 50 lakh for immediate revival of the defunct filtration plants in the district.

Further, an untied grant of Rs 1 crore was given in favour of the Deputy Commissioner, Pulwama.