SRINAGAR, JANUARY 07 (KNO) : To mark the second death anniversary of the late leader, Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, the Government today kickstarted several developmental and welfare projects in the State.
Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti laid the foundation of ambitious mini secretariat building at Batamalloo electronically. To be built at a cost of Rs. 100 crore, the administrative complex would be a state of the art office centre housing many of the offices of district and provincial administration.
The decision to construct a mini secretariat at Batamalloo was taken by the Chief Minister during a review meeting of District Development Board of Srinagar.
Spread over an area of 114 kanals of land, the mini secretariat in the first phase of Rs. 49.93 crore would have 32 officers spaces, 80 staff rooms, 32 staff halls, and two spacious meeting halls. The building would be equipped with six elevators, a common facility centre and basement parking facility for 80 vehicles.
The building would be an example of modern office spacing in the city centre and the first phase of the project would be completed in two years.
Mehbooba Mufti, on the occasion, also e-inaugurated several new facilities at the SKIMS.
Among the facilities thrown open today include Rs. 13.86 crore worth Positron Emission Tomography (PET) which has been installed in a record time of two years. With this a major facility has been added to the hospital for which the patients would invariably have to go to outside the State.
The Chief Minister also dedicated to patients Digital Subtraction Angiography. Inducted at a cost of Rs. 4.13 crore, the facility entails tracking blood flow in vessels to detect any problem or disease.
Besides, Mehbooba Mufti also inaugurated Rs. 2.70 crore equipment and machinery at the Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. This would include equipment in physio therapy and physical activity of the patients. She also inaugurated the expansion of OPD, which includes more counters, staff and facilities for the outdoor patients, at the hospital which has come up at a cost of Rs. 3.79 crore. She also dedicated to patients the Rs. 5.72 cr expansion facility of Emergency Medicine, to better look after cases of trauma coming to the hospital.
The Chief Minister also inaugurated the 118 metre span pedestrian bridge near Presentation Convent at Rajbagh over river Jhelum. Built at a cost of Rs. 11.40 crore, the 5.50 metre wide footbridge is laced with ramp facility for the specially abled people.
Minister for Public Works, Naeem Akhtar; Minister for Education, Syed Altaf Bukhari; Minister of State for Health & Medical Education, Asiea Naqash; several legislators; Divisional Commissioner, Kashmir, Baseer Khan; Additional Director, SKIMS, Dr. Firdous Giri; Principal, SKIMS Medical College, Bemina, Prof.(Dr.) Reyaz Untoo; Principal, GMC, Srinagar, Dr. Samia and other senior officers were present on the occasion.
Later, the Chief Minister also laid the foundation of a suspension bridge over river Jhelum at Dara Shikoh Park at Bijbehara.(KNO)