Early Times Report
Bunjwah (Kishtwar), Nov 27: Senior Congress Leader and MLA Inderwal, Ghulam Mohammed Saroori today laid foundation stone of Patnazi-Kishtwar Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP) covering 4 panchayats of Patnazi area of Drabshala Block of Kishtwar District. While addressing awareness cum stone laying function, Saroori who was the chief guest launched the scheme. The Project is being executed at a cost of Rs 7.16 crores. Saroori said on Wednesday that Congress party will not form any alliance for the assembly elections next year. "The Congress will contest the elections on its own and try to emerge as a force to reckon with in state politics," he said. Saroori warned the people in Jammu and Kashmir to stay vigilant as different political parties were all out to flare up communal forces to polarize different sections of the society in the lust for votes.
"With elections round the corner, such communal forces are sure to get aggressive, therefore I suggest that the people should stay alert and patient," he said. Congress political rivals are trying to create confusion among party supporters by saying that it is preparing to form an alliance with other parties ahead of the general elections. "It's a political conspiracy to damage the prospects of the Congress in Assembly elections," he said. "There is no lobbyism in Congress in the state. Yes differences of opinion can be there but it is for the first time our party is moving in a unified manner in one direction," Saroori added.
Saroori also highlighted the need for having transparency and accountability so that the benefit of IWMP reaches to the last man in the village. He expressed his concern that the impact of the programme has to be made visible enough. This is an attempt to improve conditions of rural poor in one of the most backward areas, through the IWMP. He also exhorted everyone to avail the programme to gain proper understanding for smooth and speedy implementation of such vital initiative of MoRD. In his address Project Manager IMWP Kishtwar Balbir Singh urged representatives of village level institutions to work as one unit to develop models through such programmes in order to earn repute at the State, regional and national level.
Project Assistant Kishtwar Firdous Ahmed explained people about the main objectives of the IWMP are to restore the ecological balance by harnessing, conserving and developing degraded natural resources such as soil, vegetative cover and water. The outcomes are prevention of soil erosion, regeneration of natural vegetation, rain water harvesting and recharging of the ground water table. This enables multi-cropping and the introduction of diverse agro-based activities, which help to provide sustainable livelihoods to the people residing in the watershed area.
The prominent among those including Assistant Labour Commissioner Kishtwar Zakir Hussain, Saffron Development Officer Kishtwar N K Mishra, Project Manager IMWP Kishtwar Balbir Singh, District Level technical expert Dr Nowsheen, Project assistant Firdous Ahmed, Technical expert Water and Management officer Suhail Mir, Agriculture expert Shahnawaz Ahmed, JE IWMP Naresh officers of various department, Sarpanches and local leaders including Mohd Iqbal Keen, Khalid Hussain Sheikh, Farooq Ahmed Want, Mohd Shafi, Haji Noor Mohd, Choudhary Issaq, Vinod Kumar, Abdul Rehman Batak, Choudhary Misroo, Shamasdin
Butt, Tek Chand, Secretary IYC Bunjwah Yog Raj and people in large number were present on the occasion. |
