Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Chandigarh, Punjab Chief Minister Mr. Parkash Singh Badal today asked the officers of the state government to prepare a comprehensive ‘Master plan’ for ensuring the overall development of the Kandi/ hilly areas of the state.
Presiding over a high level meeting to review the development works of the Kandi/ hilly areas of the state here at CMO this morning, the Chief Minister, while expressing concern over the slow pace of development in these areas, said that the need of the hour was to give impetus to all-round development of these areas, which have been endowed with bounty of natural resources. He said that due to lack of development in these areas the economic condition of people has been adversely affected. Underscoring the need for giving fillip to the development in these areas, Mr. Badal said that the proposed ‘Master Plan’ would play a pivotal role in comprehending and resolving the problems of these areas at the earliest.
The Chief Minister also constituted a high level committee under the Chief Secretary of the state to review the development of the Kandi/ hilly areas through regular monthly meetings. He said that the committee should also have the administrative Secretaries of Finance, Planning, Forest, Power and Irrigation departments, so as to give speedy clearances to the projects for the progress of Kandi/ hilly areas.
Dwelling on another issue, the Chief Minister asked the officers of the state government to take up the matter of installing barbed wire/ fencing in the Kandi/ hilly areas to prevent the damage caused to the crops of the farmers by Wild animal with the Government of India, so that farmers could be given subsidy on it. Likewise, he also asked the Financial Commissioner Development to explore the feasibility of constructing ‘Cattle Ponds’ for checking the entry of wild animals in the residential areas. Mr. Badal also asked the Soil Conservation and Irrigation department to prepare the proposals regarding Lift and drip irrigation besides the construction of check dams so as to ensure water and forest conservation and management.
The Chief Minister also asked the Tourism Department to explore the viability of promoting tourism in these areas of the state.
Prominent amongst other present in the meeting included Cabinet Ministers Dr. Daljit Singh Cheema, Mr. Sohan Singh Thandal and Mr. Madan Mohan Mittal, Lok Sabha MP Prof. Prem Singh Chandumajra, Chief Parliamentary Secretary Chaudhary Nand Lal, MLA Mr. Surinder Singh Bhullewalratthan, Chief Secretary Mr. Sarvesh Kaushal, Financial Commissioner Development Mr. Suresh Kumar, Financial Commissioner Forest Mr. Vishwajit Khanna, Secretary Tourism Mrs. Anjali Bhanwra, Secretary Irrigation Mr. Kahan Singh Pannu, Special Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Mr. KJS Cheema, Secretary Mandi Board Mr. Deepinder Singh, Chief Administrator GMADA Mr. AK Sinha, Deputy Commissioner SAS Nagar Mr. TPS Sidhu, Deputy Commissioner Rupnagar Ms. Tanu Kashyap and Deputy Commissioner Hoshiarpur Mr. Amit Dhaka.
