Details

Category: ENVIRONMENT

Published: 12 May 2015

 

 

JAMMU: Acting tough on Forest land encroachers, Minister for Forests, Social Welfare Bali Bhagat today said that the government would initiate every effort to retrieve precious land for larger benefit of the society. “The government has fixed a target of retrieving a notable chunk of encroached forest land this year,” the Minister asserted. The Minister, while addressing public meeting at Barn, informed that 1000 kanal of forest land has already been retrieved from the encroachers and target was given to the forest authorities to retrieve the remaining land. He said the government would leave no stone unturned to take the land grabbers to task.

 

Bali Bhagat said it is the endeavor of the present Coalition Government to uplift and transform the socio-economic profile of poor, backward, destitute and downtrodden people with equal opportunities of growth and development. He called upon the people to maintain close liaison with the Department of Social Welfare to avail the benefits of its schemes.

 

Listing the measures initiated by the present Government to provide hassle-free assistance to the poor beneficiaries at their doorstep, the Minister said that after taking over the reign of the Department of Social Welfare, he issued specific instructions to the officers to simplify and streamline the process of formalities so that the people can avail the benefits of various welfare schemes without any difficulty. Besides, the officers have been asked to organize camps in rural areas and collect forms of the beneficiaries besides facilitating them in completing the formalities. The formalities like issuance of death certificates, age certificates, and income certificates have also been simplified and the officers will complete these formalities in special camps to be held in local areas.

 

Regarding the status of pendency of pension cases under different categories, the Minister said that the present Government has taken up the matter with the Centre for early redressal. The Minister informed that 3200 anganwari centers would be opened soon in the State. He said that work on double lane of Bantalab to Amb Grota road will be started soon as it was the long pending demand of the people of the area. He also informed that land for construction of Degree college has also been identified and work on the same would be started at the earliest.

 

The Minister also identified poor people, on spot, for providing them benefit under IAY scheme.   Earlier, Sarpanches and Panches apprised the Minister of the difficulties being faced by the people of Barn and adjoining areas. They demanded compensation to farmers, un-interrupted power supply, safe drinking water supply, construction of tube-wells at various villages, road connectivity, installation of hand-pumps, ration cards, upgradation of lanes and drains, etc. While responding to their demands, the Minister assured for early redressal of their genuine demands.