BHIMBER: (Parliament Times) Terming 21st century as the age of media, AJK Senior Minister Ch. Tariq Farooq has said that information department is serving as bridge between government and the media.
The minister said this while addressing participants after inaugurating the district information office Bhimber here on Monday. He urged the newly set up office to strengthen coordination with media and provide the latest, accurate news and information to the masses.
He stressed for promotion of healthy and positive journalism. Government he said views healthy journalism with great respect.
“After 13th amendment financial resources of the state have increased. Development budget of the state has been enhanced from 11 billion to 23 billion, letting us to overcome the financial losses” he noted.
Farooq said the major chunk of budget was spent on infrastructure of roads and communication last year. In next budget the government would target health and education.
“Though government brought about certain reforms in its system, yet we need more reforms at lower level” he claimed and added that the performance of PML-N government was much better comparing to past successive governments.
The senior minister who holds portfolio of housing and physical planning, agriculture, livestock and irrigation said two and half crore rupees would be spent on supply of potable water to citizens, improvement of sewerage system, moving the “transport stations” out of the city and other development works in Bhimber.
He lauded the professional competency of DG Information Raja Azhar Iqbal and said he brought about commendable reforms in information department.
“AJK government gets annual income of 10 billion rupees from electricity department. However still theft of power and line losses of around forty percent power has been recorded which needed to be plucked” he said.
He said nations need vision for their development and not venom or maligning of each other by politicians, adding that the distance of hatred should be shrunk. Politicians believing in the politics of detestation are not sincere to the nation or the country, he remarked.
Farooq assured that election office would also be set up in Bhimber next year.
Earlier in his address the Director General Information Raja Azhar Iqbal said his department was taking steps for welfare of journalists as we are parts and parcel to each other. This relation would further be strengthened. He said press clubs are being set up at local level in the State while residential colonies for journalists would also be constructed. A strong media is imperative for the success of Kashmir liberation struggle, he added.
Azhar also eulogized the steps taken by present government to equip information department with modern facilities.
