Srinagar, Oct 7: Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC) State Spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar on Wednesday welcomed the Omar Abdullah government’s initiative to directly seek the views of the public, traders and other stakeholders while preparing Master Plans for towns and cities across Jammu and Kashmir.
In a statement, Dar said the move reflects an effort to strengthen democracy at the grassroots level and ensure public participation in decision-making.
He said a new process has been initiated for preparing draft Master Plans for towns, under which senior officers of the Housing and Urban Local Development Department are visiting different districts and towns and directly consulting local residents, traders, citizens and other stakeholders.
Their views are being sought on the basic requirements and facilities that should be incorporated into the Master Plans to make their respective towns better planned and more developed, he said.
Imran said it was an important change that, instead of taking decisions while sitting in closed offices, officials were being sent to the people and ordinary citizens were being given a voice in the planning process.
He said that in the past, public participation in decisions related to Master Plans and urban development remained limited, whereas the present government had made an effort to take the process to the grassroots level.
He said officials, including IAS officers, were now directly interacting with citizens, traders and other stakeholders to understand which measures should be given priority for the development of their areas.
The National Conference spokesperson said Chief Minister Omar Abdullah deserved appreciation for the public consultation process, as his government had focused on strengthening direct interaction between people and the administration.
He said incorporating public opinion into town Master Plans would not only contribute to better planning but would also make citizens active participants in the development of their respective areas.
