Rakh-i-Arth being developed at Rs 400 Cr: Dy CM

Work on Jammu-Srinagar sewerage project costing Rs 262 Cr on swift pace

Rs 55 Cr earmarked for slum clearance in Jammu & Srinagar

With vigorous and round the clock work Housing and Urban Development Department has succeeded in developing first phase of Rakh-i- Arth where Dal and Nageen Dwellers are being shifted. At present the department is ready to settle 1000 families and work is on accelerated pace to rehabilitate 4600 families very soon. This was revealed to the Deputy Chief Minister Mr. Tara Chand who chaired a high level officers meeting convened to review the projects taken under Housing and Urban Development Department (H&UDD) here today. In the meeting threadbare discussions were held on the achievements registered under Jawahar Lal Nehru Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) which include schemes taken like Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns (UIDSSMT), Integrated Housing and Slum Development Programme, (IHSDP) and Basic Service for Urban Poor, (BSUP). The meeting was attended by Commissioner/Secretary, Housing & Urban Development Department, Mrs. Naseema Lankar, Commissioner, Municipality, Khawaja Farooq Renzu, Director Local Bodies Jammu, Mr. Khursheed Bhat,Vice Chairman, LAWDA, Mr. Irfan Yaseen and senior officers and engineers of PHE, UEED, NBCC, LAWDA from Jammu and Srinagar. Mr. Tara Chand emphasized the need to provide better urban facilities to the urbanites and ruralites of the state. He said that with the help of liberal funding from the Centre, the government is committed to change the urban landscape of towns and cities of the state. Adding that various projects for urban development have been taken up by H&UDD, which are under different stages of completion and by the end of the current financial year results of the same would be visible on the ground. The Deputy Chief Minister while taking review of the projects taken up under Basic Services for Urban Poor (BSUP) said that under the scheme urban poor population of the mission cities of Jammu and Srinagar would be provided with developed urban facilities. Under the scheme, Rakh-i-Arth colony is being developed at an accelerated pace in Srinagar city and similarly at Jammu two colonies are under development at Rajiv Nagar and Bhagwati Nagar. While taking stock of the facilities being developed at Rakh-i-Arth, Mr. Tara Chand gave on the spot instructions to the concerned Chief Engineer to accelerate the work of laying water pipes besides exploring possibilities for having tube well in the area for providing regular water supply to the families who would be shifted soon.

The Deputy Chief Minister taking a strong note of the delays in execution of the projects said that the line and executing agencies should work in close coordination. He stressed for taking of the multiple activities involved in the project execution simultaneously by increasing manpower and rescheduling the working hours in double and triple shifts. The Minister asked for installing notice boards giving details about the date of commencement of work and its scheduled date of completion. While taking review of the under execution sewerage project in the two capital cities of Jammu and Srinagar, it was told that work is on swift case on various sewerage projects involving a total cost of Rs 262 crore. It was further told that 9.5 km trunk sewer line has been laid besides 12.50 km of lateral sewer in the Srinagar city for better sewerage management in the city. Taking stock of various projects taken up under IHSDP, the meeting was informed that Rs 55 crore have been earmarked for slum clearance in the city. The Deputy Chief Minister while taking stock of the progress under ISHDP for proper solid waste management was informed that project worth Rs 1.43 crores are nearing completion in the towns of Bhadarwah and Doda. The Deputy Chief Minister directed the Deputy Commissioner Samba immediately handover the identified land to the concerned authority so that the work on the solid waste management project could be taken up at the earliest in the Samba town.