Two Maternity Hospitals of 200 bed capacity each would be made functional in the two capital cities of Srinagar and Jammu within a year or so even as work is apace on the three Medical colleges of Anantnag, Baramulla and Rajouri which is expected to be completed in two years.

This was disclosed in a high level review meeting held here today with Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti in chair.

The Chief Minister had convened this meeting to review and monitor the progress on projects of key infrastructural and social value in the State.

Deputy Chief Minister, Dr. Nirmal Singh; Minister for Horticulture, Syed Basharat Bukhari; Minister for Health & Medical Education, Bali Baghat; Minister for PHE, Irrigation & Flood Control, Sham Lal Choudhary; Minister for R&B, Naeem Akhtar; Minister for Education, Syed Altaf Bukhari and Minister of State for Planning & Finance, Ajay Nanda were present in the meeting.

The meeting was informed that the building of Maternity Hospital at Jammu is complete and currently final finishing works are going on there after which the hospital building would be ready. Similarly, the structure for Maternity Hospital, Srinagar is ready and the hospital building would be ready for use by early next year, the meeting was informed.

The meeting was further informed that work is in progress on the Rs. 25 crore Children’s Hospital at Srinagar whileas 114 major works at the hospitals across the State are underway in the State on which Rs. 275 crore were expended last year.

Addressing the meeting, the Chief Minister stressed on rigorous monitoring and continuous evaluation of the progress registered on these projects and directed that in no way should the works or costs be allowed to escalate.

Mehbooba Mufti also directed regular monitoring of works at the three Medical Colleges being constructed at Anantnag, Baramulla and Rajouri. She also directed settling of all the pending issues in respect of Medical Colleges at Kathua and Doda.

The Chief Minister asked for qualitatively upgrading health institutes in the State in terms of staff and equipment to make them fully functional with proper service delivery so that people are benefitted in real sense.

In the Higher education sector, the meeting was informed, 22 colleges are under construction across the State and out of these 16 would be completed within coming few months. Also the two Cluster Universities set up in the State recently would be moving to their campuses by September this year, the meeting was told.

The meeting was also informed that the IIMs in the State would start functioning from makeshift arrangements from this year while as faculty has been shortlisted for the two Architectural colleges and two Nursing Colleges started by the Higher education Department. It was also given out that the Higher Education Department would be constructing seven girls hostels through pre engineering structures for which Rs. 10 crore have already been released.

In the Tourism sector, Mehbooba Mufti directed developing Baglihar lake as a water sports destination and fast pacing of facility upgradation at Suchetgarh to promote border tourism there.

The meeting was informed that Rs.60 crore Jammu Ropeway project is slated to be completed by March, 2018 while as the first phase of Patnitop Ropeway would be completed by September, 2018.

In the horticulture sector, the meeting was informed that 650 kanals of land have been targeted in Kashmir province to be covered under High Density Apple plantation this year.

Also present in the meeting were Chief Secretary, B. B. Vyas; administrative secretaries and heads of various Departments and senior officers.

Guest