Jammu, 04 January (H.S.): Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh today held a public durbar at Kathua as part of his sustained public outreach programme aimed at direct engagement with citizens in his Parliamentary constituency. The initiative is intended to provide an accessible platform for the public to present their grievances and developmental concerns directly before the elected representative. Several issues raised by the public were addressed and resolved on the spot during the interaction.

The Union Minister announced a Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) facility has been sanctioned for Kathua Medical College, complementing the MRI services already available in Jammu, and providing advanced diagnostics for local patients.

Addressing the media, Dr Jitendra Singh said that the Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi is working with a firm resolve to ensure ease of living for every citizen and to improve their quality of life, irrespective of political affiliation, caste, creed, or geographical region. He said that inclusive development and last-mile delivery of government services remain the cornerstone of the Prime Minister’s governance model.

The Minister highlighted that, with the vision and guidance of Prime Minister Modi, Kathua has witnessed unprecedented development across multiple sectors over the last decade. He said several first-of-its-kind projects have been initiated in the district, transforming it into an emerging centre of education, healthcare, connectivity, and economic activity. These include the establishment of a medical college under the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), an engineering college, the introduction of the Vande Bharat Express train, North India’s first homeopathic medical college, and proposed up-gradation of a cancer care centre to provide advanced treatment facilities closer to home.

Dr Jitendra Singh pointed out that long-pending projects such as the Ujh Multipurpose Project and the Shahpur Kandi Dam, which had remained stalled for decades due to politics of discrimination, were revived after Prime Minister Modi assumed office. He said these projects would not only contribute to regional development but also ensure effective utilisation of India’s rightful share of water resources that continue to flow unutilised to Pakistan.

Emphasising future-oriented development, the Minister said Kathua is being positioned to become a hub of education as well as a centre of business and entrepreneurship in the coming years. He informed that an incubation centre has been established at the Industrial Biotech Park to promote innovation and self-employment. The plan is to nurture around 15 startups every year, so that within five years, 20 to 25 entrepreneurs from small towns and villages are created, offering youth alternative livelihood opportunities beyond conventional government jobs.

Dr Jitendra Singh also referred to the flood relief announced to mitigate the damage and losses suffered during recent floods in the border areas of Kathua and parts of Punjab. He assured that the allocated funds would be utilised by the local administration strictly for the purposes for which they were sanctioned, ensuring transparency and accountability. The Minister further stated that houses washed away during the recent floods would be rebuilt, and alternative land, in consultation with the district administration, would be provided to families whose land had been washed away.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar