Omar inaugurates Garoor Model Village

Bandipora, June 24: Flagging development of villages and remote corners of the State as the priority area of his government, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has said growth of State’s rural belts will be incorporated as an important provision in State’s development policy so that targets set under various schemes are achieved in a time-bound manner.

The Chief Minister was inaugurating the first model village in Kashmir - Garoor, in Bandipora on Tuesday.

Minister for Rural Development and Panchayats, Ali Mohammad Sagar was also present on the occasion.

The Chief Minister said improvement and up-gradation of basic amenities like healthcare, education, road communication, PHE and power supply in all villages are getting special attention of the government. “Our objective is to make every village a model village and every household a prosperous abode for its inhabitants,” he said and added that the next five-and-a-half years have been dedicated to revolutionize development scenario of the State and bring about healthy change in the conditions of rural population.

Abdullah said that creation of necessary infrastructure for crucial sectors of health, education and community facilities in villages is a significant component of rural development drive launched across the State. He said road connectivity and drinking water supply in rural areas require additional thrust and asked the officers to work with missionary zeal in translating development schemes into success.

Describing completion of works within the targeted timeframe as the most important factor for ensuring benefits to the people at ground-level, the Chief Minister emphasized the need of completing the schemes well within the scheduled period, observing all aspects of financial discipline.

Apprising the Chief Minister of the facilities provided in the newly-inaugurated model village, Sagar said that Rs. 1.20 crore have been spent on various works relating to up-gradation of public amenities in the village. He said community facilities, playing fields, shopping complexes, lanes and drains and roads have also been provided in the model village.

Political Advisor to the Chief Minister, Devender Singh Rana, Chief Secretary, S. S. Kapur, Director General of Police, Kuldeep Khoda, Financial Commissioner, Planning, S. L. Bhat, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Khurshid Ahmad Ganai, Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Masaud Samoon, Deputy Commissioner, Bandipora and various other officers were also present on the occasion.