Get info on schemes at grass-roots level, ministers told

Dinesh Manhotra

Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 22

The team of Union Ministers — engaged in the much-publicised public outreach programme — has been asked to get authentic feedback about the implementation of the Centre’s welfare schemes in the new UT of J&K at the grass-roots level.

As part of the Prime Minister’s initiatives, the visiting ministers have been directed to establish direct contact with the people at the panchayat level so as to get a reliable feedback, especially in the Jammu region, about decision of the Centre to abolish Article 370 and bifurcate J&K into two UTs.

Highly placed sources said two senior BJP leaders, namely Murlidhar Rao and Sunil V Deodhar, during their visit to Jammu in the last week December 2019 had interacted with cross-sections of the society. “During the interaction, the visiting leaders had received a mixed response about the Centre’s initiatives in J&K in general and the Jammu region in particular,” a source said, adding, “It was only after the reports of both the leaders that the Centre has decided to get authentic feedback about the situation on the ground.”

Sources said the visiting ministers had been suggested that instead of ‘playing to the galleries’ they should rather focus on interacting with more and more people to get “reliable” feedback about the impact of Central moves in J&K.

Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare Kailash Choudhary on Wednesday visited Chak Chattakan village of Ramgarh in Samba district. He said the abrogation of Article 370 had ushered in a new era of growth and development in J&K. He said the initiatives like sanctioning of medical colleges, educational institutions and further strengthening of PRIs in J&K were taken after August 5.

The minister said the Government of India had launched “Mahila Kisan Sashaktikaran Pariyojana” to empower women in agriculture by making systematic investments to enhance their participation and productivity, as also to create and sustain their farming-based livelihoods. He said the new mantra for the overall development of the society lies in the slogan of ‘Sabka Sath Sabka Vikas aur Sabka Vishwas’.

Public interaction

As part of the PM’s initiatives, the visiting ministers have been directed to establish direct contact with the people at the panchayat level so as to get a reliable feedback, especially in the Jammu region, about Centre’s decision to abolish Article 370 and bifurcate the erstwhile state of J&K into two UTs.