MUZAFFARABAD: The fourth meeting of the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Development Working Party (AJK DWP) for the financial year 2021-22 was held here on Tuesday under the chairmanship of Additional Chief Secretary Development Dr Sajid Mehmood Chauhan.
The meeting reviewed 14 development projects of various sectors involving an expenditure of Rs2.42 billion. The projects reviewed at the meeting included that of higher education, social welfare, information and media development, electricity, health, industries and physical planning and housing sectors.
Among the important projects discussed at the meeting were acquisition of land for Azad Jammu and Kashmir Women University in Bagh district, rehabilitation centres for addicts, stabilisation of district information offices of Directorate General of Public Relations under Information and Media Development Department, computerisation of land records, improvement of power transmission network in northern region of Azad Kashmir and provision of health facilities in tehsil headquarters at Ming in Sadhnauti district.
The meeting reviewed up-gradation of District Headquarters Hospital Mirpur from 250 to 500 beds while plans to control the spread of COVID-19 pandemic were also discussed. The feasibility study and construction plan for Accountability Bureau Office housing project also came under discussion.
Addressing the meeting, Additional Chief Secretary Development Dr Sajid Mehmood Chauhan said the tender process of projects which have already been approved should now be completed and work should start immediately.
He directed the heads of development departments to ensure timely utilisation of development funds and achieve the targets so that people could be provided necessary facilities at their doorsteps.
The meeting also approved the Rs55 million plan for the Information Department. Under this scheme, equipment will be purchased for all the district information offices and liaison offices Rawalpindi to equip the Information Department in accordance with the modern requirements of digital, social and electronic media. Under the scheme, technical staff will also be provided to all district information offices.
Secretary Information Ms Midhat Shehzad and Director General Information Raja Azhar Iqbal presented the plan in the meeting for approval. Dr Sajid Mehmood Chauhan appreciated the plan and termed it indispensable in the present age of media. He said the targets of the first two quarters would be achieved by the end of the second quarter while all the development funds would be disbursed by the end of the financial year.
