Development, environment conservation must go hand in hand: Lal Singh

KATHUA, APRIL 01: Minister for Forests, Ecology and Environment, Choudhary Lal Singh today asserted that Kathua District has witnessed massive development in all spheres during the current regime and the Government is duty bound to provide all basic amenities to the people of the State.
The Minister was speaking at public grievances redressal camp held here at Kathua today. Various deputations from Kathua, Basohli and Hiranagar apprised the Minister about their problems mainly pertaining to water and power supply, ration distribution, installation of hand pumps, pending payments of MGNREGA, and fresh BPL survey along with improving road connectivity in remote and far off places.
The Minister in response to the projected issues by the people passed on instructions to the concerned officers to take adequate steps to mitigate the grievances of the people in a time-bound manner. He exhorted upon the officers to create awareness about all government schemes among rural people so that they avail maximum benefit of these schemes.
Lal Singh also directed ACD Kathua to settle the MGNREGA liabilities by paying the remaining dues of labourers who worked under this scheme at the earliest. ACD, Rajiv Khajuria assured the minister those liabilities under MGNREGA to be given as soon as the Rural Development Department receives funds. The ACD urged the villagers to seed their Aadhar with the bank account to receive direct transfer of payments under various schemes.
The Minister asked people to extend full cooperation to executing agencies in implementing the development projects in their areas. He also advised them that development and environment conservation efforts must go hand in hand to maintain the fragile ecological balance which is essential for the survival of mankind on this planet.
Underlining several initiatives launched by the State as well as Central Government to provide social security and to improve the socio-economic status of the marginalized sections of our society, Lal Singh directed all the officers to synergize their efforts in sensitizing the masses regarding construction of houses under PMAY, construction of IHHLs, widow and handicap pension and assistance provided by the State Government for marriage of girls falling in BPL category under SMAS.
Director Social Forestry Ashwani Gupta, Director FPF, Mohammad Asif, Member Secretary PCB, Samir Bharti, CCF Jammu, Farooq Gillani, Conservator of Forests East Circle, Kh Qamar-ud-Din, ADC Basohli, Sanjay Gupta, DFOs, CEO, Engineers, Tehsildar and other district officers were present on the occasion.