Inaugurates water supply scheme, meets DDC members, visits hospital

KUPWARA: Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs, John Barla, on Monday reached here for a two-day tour under the Union Government’s public outreach programme. He addressed a joint meeting of District Development Council (DDC) members, Chairpersons of Block Development Councils (BDC), representatives of PRIs, and officials of the administration.

The minister said that he was feeling great happiness while talking to public representatives in this frontier district. He assured that the requests, issues and grievances projected by PRIs, deputations and the public have been taken note of and the same would be put up with the government at the Union level as well as with the Lieutenant Governor.

The minister said that he was very impressed by the peaceful atmosphere and cooperative attitude of the people here. He said that some vested interests are misleading the rest of the country about the situation in Kashmir.

Barla said that he will tell to the people across India about the peaceful environment and hospitality of the Kashmiri people. Congratulating the PRIs and administration for successful establishment of the three-tier Panchayati Raj System, the minister said that this system of government was available to the people of Jammu and Kashmir for the first time since independence.

The minister said that the Government of India has been already working on various flagship programmes to improve socio-economic conditions of the people and a number of new schemes are also in pipeline. He said that the need of the hour is to generate awareness regarding all welfare schemes so that the benefits of these schemes could percolate down to the grassroots level.

Barla inaugurated the Water Supply Scheme at Halpal in Kupwara which has been completed at a cost of Rs.2.82 crore. The scheme will provide potable drinking water to a population of 5,000.

The minister met the youth club of the local area and visited Sub-District Hospital Kupwara. He reviewed COVID19 mitigation efforts made by the district administration. He was informed that the government has provided a 3,000-lpm capacity oxygen plant which has benefited the district to a large extent.

While interacting with the doctors, Barla commended the efforts of the hospital administration for their good work in the challenging time of the pandemic.

KR Desk