Unprecedented development in state, claims Azad
Shariq Majeed
Tribune News Service

Peeri (Rajouri), March 18
Underlining the urgency accorded by his government to the development of backward and far-off areas, Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad today said that Jammu and Kashmir was going through an era of unprecedented infrastructure expansion across the cities and hinterland.

Addressing a public meeting here in this backward village, still not connected by road, Azad who is the only CM to have visited this area, said that sectors like road connectivity, drinking water, education, healthcare and power were witnessing unprecedented development activities.

He said the significant aspect of the development offensive launched by his government was that building of critical infrastructure had, for the first time, been extended to remote villages where people had started harvesting the benefits.

Making a particular reference to this border district, the Chief Minister said that the area was going through a phase of development seen never before. He said lack of road connectivity in areas like this had been the main obstacle for progress.

Accordingly, he said, his government attached utmost priority to building of roads and providing connectivity to people, adding that the development travels through roads.

Giving the brief account of the road sector from the government's side, Azad said this district was poised for complete transformation. He said in 2007-08, an amount of Rs 22 crore was allocated in the road sector for Rajouri district which was five times more than the last year.

He said an additionality of Rs 5.30 crore had also been provided in the road and bridge sector. He cited figures to make the point since the time he took over as the Chief Minister, road construction in the district was receiving high priority.

Making a special mention of the Mughal Road and opening of the Poonch-Rawlakote cross-LoC road , Azad said while the former would provide the much needed alternate inter-province link between Kashmir and Jammu, the latter had met the aspirations of the people divided by the LoC.

He hoped that the dialogue process between India and Pakistan would resume soon and said that it would lead to the Poonch-Rawlakote road eventually being used for cross-LoC trade. He said the work on the Mughal Road was started on April 13, 2006 and would be ready as a fair weather road by the end of this year.

Apart from roads, Azad said construction of other projects was also apace in this district. He said the district hospital was under construction at a cost of about Rs 26 crore.

The first phase of the project was nearing completion while the second phase would be completed by March, 2009. He said a record number of 10 bridges in the district would be completed next month.

The Chief Minister also talked about his priority to develop tourism in Rajouri and Poonch. He said tourism development authorities were set up for the two districts and the Jammu-Rajouri-Poonch tourist circuit was being developed.