Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti today asked for proper preservation of green spaces in the urban centres even as she reiterated her direction of time bound completion of projects.

The Chief Minister was chairing a review meeting of Housing & Urban Development Department here today.

Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Nrmal Singh, who also holds the charge of Housing & Urban Development Department and Minister of State, Asiea Naqash were also present in the meeting.

Mehbooba Mufti directed the concerned Department to ensure that the green spaces, where ever these are, may be fenced and protected to be appropriately used in future. She asked the Department not to be selective in its anti encroachment drives and immediately get the retrieved land properly fenced. She also directed the Departments like Municipalities and Urban Local Bodies to ensure availability of rest rooms, bus stops and garbage disposal spots in cities and town so that people do not feel inconvenienced.

The Chief Minister asked the concerned Department to raise only those structures which are demand driven, can be properly maintained and gel properly with the local architectural patterns.

Addressing the meeting, the Deputy Chief Minister asked the officers to ensure quality check and proper service delivery of the projects when these are started. He also stressed on pacing up the works so that these are completed without cost or time over run.

The Chief Minister was informed that Rs. 593 crore projects would be executed in the State under AMRUT in the coming four years. The 74 projects, 71 of which have been tendered out, would be executed in Jammu and Srinagar cities besides Anantnag, Leh and Kargil towns.

Mehbooba Mufti was also informed that to tide over the increasing problem of parking in city centres, parking slots are being developed at Sheikhbagh and State Motor Garages complex at Srinagar and Panjtirthi and Peerkhu in Jammu and at Anantnag and Leh. All these projects are in various stages of processing, she was informed.

The meeting was also informed about the pace of projects like cleaning of Brari Nambal, intelligent traffic system at Jammu and Srinagar, Swach Bharat Mission, Housing for All, National Urban Livelihood Mission, Tawi Riverfront development, Hari Singh Park at Jammu and Children’s Park at Sangarmal complex, Srinagar.

Advisor on Infrastructure, Pradip Singh; Commissioner-Secretary, Finance, Navin Choudhary; Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Rohit Kansal; Commissioner-Secretary, Housing & Urban Development, Hridesh Kumar; Secretary, PHE, I&FC; Saurabh Bhagat; Secretary to Chief Minister, M H Malik, several heads of Departments and senior officers were present in the meeting.

Guest