KUPWARA, OCTOBER 19: In an extensive outreach initiative to deliver governance at the doorsteps of border residents, Deputy Commissioner (DC) Kupwara, Abhishek Sharma (IAS), today presided over a Mega Grievance Redressal Camp and conducted a comprehensive tour of the border Vibrant Village, Keran.
During the visit, the Deputy Commissioner undertook a firsthand assessment of various ongoing developmental works across the sector, emphasizing quality control and strict adherence to project completion timelines.
The grievance redressal camp witnessed large-scale public participation, including local ex-PRI members , village elders, and youth, who projected diverse issues and developmental demands concerning essential sectors such as power, healthcare, tourism, agriculture, and mobile connectivity. The Deputy Commissioner gave a patient hearing to the issues raised and issued on-the-spot directions to the concerned executing agencies and departments for prompt redressal.
Highlighting the holistic development of border areas under the Vibrant Villages Programme, the DC assured the public of saturated delivery of basic amenities and targeted economic empowerment. Addressing connectivity challenges, he assured that telecommunication services in the sector will soon be significantly augmented, with all major operators actively being onboarded to resolve network bottlenecks.
Taking serious cognizance of power supply demands, the DC directed Executive Engineer, KPDCL to fast-track ongoing electrification projects and ensure immediate grid connectivity to two local villages hitherto facing power supply issues
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To preserve the fragile ecology while catering to the growing tourist influx, the DC called for concerted community and administrative efforts to make Keran completely plastic-free. He directed Assistant Commissioner Panchayat (ACP) to formulate an integrated sanitation action plan, establish a Single-Use Plastic (SUP) checkpoint, and expedite the completion and proper maintenance of Community Sanitary Complexes (CSCs)
To tap the area’s scenic potential sustainably, Chief Executive Officer, Lolab Bangus Drangyari Development Authority (LBDDA) was instructed to draft a comprehensive infrastructure upgradation roadmap tailored for eco-tourism.
Furthermore, the Chief Agriculture Officer (CAO) and Horticulture Development Officer (HDO) were strictly instructed to implement targeted interventions for agricultural expansion and aggressively promote the cultivation of high-value secondary crops, notably strawberry farming, to boost local farm incomes
On the healthcare front, the DC directed the health department to organize regular medical camps and strictly instructed that all doctors and paramedical staff deputed to the area must attend to their duties religiously to ensure uninterrupted medical services to the public.
During the tour, the Deputy Commissioner also visited the iconic Rooh-e-Hind Flag site in Keran. Paying tribute to the national symbol, he expressed deep gratitude and appreciation to the Indian Army for their steadfast dedication, and continuous support to civil administration and border communities in fostering peace, security, and development in the region
The Mega Camp and tour were attended by CEO LBDDA, Farooq Ahmad Baba; Assistant Commissioner Revenue (ACR) Kupwara; Chief Planning Officer (CPO) Kupwara officers from Indian Army and concerned officers from all line departments.
