The Jammu and Kashmir Chief Secretary has expressed deep anguish over the attacks and killings at some places during the government’s outreach programme ‘Back to Village’, terming the incidents as “unfortunate”. He said such acts will not deter the government from carrying out welfare programmes.
On November 26, a grenade was hurled in Panchayat Halqa Hakura A & B, followed by indiscriminate firing in which Syed Mohammad Rafi (Sarpanch), Sheikh Zahoor Ahmad (Junior Agriculture Extension Officer), Manzoor Ahamad Parray (employee of the Irrigation Department) and Peer Noorudin Shah (employee of the Rural Development Department) sustained injuries. Later two of them succumbed to their injuries at District Hospital Anantnag. Police have registered a case and a manhunt has been launched to nab the perpetrators.
Terming the killings as unfortunate, gruesome and inhuman, Chief Secretary, B. V. R. Subrahmanyam observed: “Such cowardly acts will not deter the efforts of the Government in reaching out to the people for delivery of services through various special initiatives during the ‘Back to Village’ programme.”
Subrahmanyam observed that an attack on innocent persons engaged in the welfare of the people is a brutal act for which mere condemnation is not enough. Such incidents will only strengthen the resolve of the government to accelerate the pace of development across the Union Territory of J&K.
A condolence meeting was also held in the Civil Secretariat, Jammu on Thursday to express grief and sorrow over the killings and solidarity with the bereaved families.
Phase-2 of the Back to Village Programme has been launched by the Government from November 25 to November 29 across the Union Territory of J&K. The programme is in progress in 4300 Panchayats across the UT with around 5000 officers deputed to assess the institutionalization of Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRIs) at the grassroots level besides the impact of various flagship programmes and welfare schemes which will help to come up with specific interventions to make village life better in terms of improved amenities.