J&K Govt decided to release funds for projects

Srinagar, Sep 21: The Jammu and Kashmir Government has decided to release additional funds for infrastructure development projects that could be completed within six months.

This announcement was made by Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad at Kupwara, once the hub of militants, during District Development Board meeting.

Additional funds would be mopped up for infrastructure development projects that could be completed within six months in the state, he said and asked the planning and development department to prepare a list of such projects so that work on their completion could be speeded up.

Making the mid-year appraisal of development works in the frontier district of Kupwara, he announced on the spot release of funds for several important infrastructure projects like bridges, roads and hospitals to be completed by March next year.

The Chief Minister highlighted the need to prioritize the ongoing projects for completion and said that focus should be laid on those projects which have been disrupted for lack of money and could have been otherwise completed in a couple of months.

He said, money for such projects would be made available by mopping up resources so that people at large were benefitted.

Mr Azad, released Rs 1.56 crore for three bridges and announced that 100 per cent funds have been released for the Kalamchakla Bridge which would be completed by March 2008.

He said, Rs 10 crores have been released for reconstruction of Public Works Department (PWD) related projects damaged by the 2005 earthquake in Kupwara and Baramulla districts.

He also announced Rs 80 lakhs for improvement and maintenance of for Kupwara and Handwara roads. The Chief Minister announced that the OPD block of Handwara Hospital would be completed by first week of October 2007 at a cost of Rs 3 crore. He said 100 per cent funds have already been released for completion of the project on schedule while Rs one crore for initiating the work on the Sub District Hospital, Sogam estimated to cost Rs 12 crore.

He said work on the 200-bed IPD block for District Hospital Kupwara costing Rs. 10 crore would be started soon. The Bangas valley would be opened for tourists next year, he assured. The Sub District Hospital, Tangdhar damaged in the 2005 earthquake would be reconstructed at a cost of Rs 7 crore, he added.

Earlier, in his welcome address the District Development Commissioner, Kachoo Isfandyar Khan said that the district plan for the current fiscal was Rs 64.12 crores including capital component of Rs 45.50 crores.

UNI