BANDIPORA: Continuing with Good Governance initiatives of Lt. Governor Administration & as a part of activities under Public Outreach Programme, special public grievance redressal camp was organised in Khenusa Village to get the first hand appraisal of the issues faced by the public especially the fishermen community living along the banks of Wular Lake.
The public interaction programme witnessed huge participation of locals from fishermen community who were eager to raise issues of the area before the District administration.
Deputy Commissioner Bandipora, Dr Owais Ahmad gave patient hearing to all issues put forth by participants and took on spot decisions for Speedy action in several cases. He was accompanied by Joint Director Planning, Imtiyaz Ahmad, Officials of PDD, PHE, Tehsildar, officers of Fisheries department PRI members and other senior officials.
The locals raised several issues of public interest especially the issues pertaining to fishermen community including issuance of permits, dredging of wular, sale and marketing strategies of fish and other products of wular, providing timber, fishing equipments etc on subsidized rates and other related issues.
DC Bandipora said that the fishermen forms vital section of our community and the administration is committed to work for their welfare. He said several schemes have been launched to providing a helping hand to fishermen to upgrade their business besides helping them to build houses. He stressed on adopting sustainable fishing in Wular.
Apart from other issues, people demanded dredging of the wular near ZuriManz village and demanded to bring the area on tourist map. They said the area has a huge potential for tourism and a long term plan needs to be drafted to return the old glory of the area when Khenusa and adjoining villages acted as a port wherein goods were stocked through wular and imported or exported to central Asia through silk route.
Dr Owais told the audience that major dredging process has been already initiated and the villages around will be brought on tourism map. He said the development of wullar as a tourist attraction will create job avenues for local people and will help to uplift the socio-economic condition of the people.
The locals also demanded better road, pure drinking water, upgradation of school infrastructure, Solid Waste management in Panchayats and town, renovation of water bodies, macadamization of left out roads besides bringing the area on Tourism Map.
Dr Owais gave patient hearing to all the delegations and individuals and assured them that he will personally examine all the grievances and will take positive action in this regard.
DC Bandipora directed the officers to launch a special awareness campaign at Panchayat level regarding various welfare schemes and the schemes for unemployed youths for establishing various income generating units.