Altaf Hamid Rao.
MIRPUR (AJK): (Parliament Times) Azad Jammu & Kashmir government Wednesday approved Rs. 2.790 billion current financial year public sector development program for the socio economic uplift of the people of the state harmonious to the need of the modern age, it was officially said.
The funds have been earmarked in the new fiscal year (2020-21) approved budget, an AJK government spokesman told media after a high level meeting of Coordination Committee of the Rural Development approved the gigantic phased program.
AJK Prime Minister Raja Muhammad Farooq Haider Khan was in the chair.
Speaking on the occasion the Prime Minister stressed the need to evolve a strong mechanism for effective monitoring of the projects being undertaken under Prime Minister community infrastructure development program in Azad Jammu Kashmir.
He said the government has taken concrete steps for the completion of public welfare oriented projects in rural areas to provide basic amenities of life at the door steps of the people living in the remote areas of the state.
The PM said that over 31775 big and small projects of rural development were completed costing over Rs. 8.390 billion while for the first time financial resources were distributed equally in all the constituencies of the state without any political affiliation. He announced Rs. 50 million additional grant for Administrators and directed them to improve the system of Birth registration in Azad Jammu Kashmir.
The meeting was informed that street lights are being installed in all the districts, while over then thousand projects relating to communication, water and sanitation, constructions of streets and roads and other projects have been completed during the last financial year.
The meeting was further informed that so far 10276 links roads have been completed involving an expenditure of over three billion and Rs. 330 million while Rs. 01.190 billion were spent for the completion of 8160 water supply schemes in the state. The Prime Minister was also briefed about the other public welfare projects completed by the local government and rural development department for improving the living standard of the people of Azad Kashmir.