Third phase of Centre's Public Outreach Programme begins

With the visit of Union Minister for Commerce and Industries Anupriya Singh Patel to central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district on Wednesday, the third phase of Central government’s ‘Public Outreach Programme’ has begun.

Under the ‘Public Outreach Programme’ 70 ministers are visiting Jammu & Kashmir to evaluate the state of local development and the implementation of various government programmes aimed at improving people’s quality of life. The programme started on October 10 and is expected to be completed by November end.

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Patel visited Ganderbal to assess the ground-level development scenario and to listen to grievances and public demands, officials said. Similarly in the coming days, central ministers will visit every nook and corner of the union territory (UT) to listen to the grievances of people and their demands.

The ministers have been assigned different areas to review the development works, hold discussions with the administration and listen to the grievances of common people. The outreach programme by the Center started after the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A in August 2019.

In 2020, 36 Union ministers visited Jammu and Kashmir, while last year 70 ministers visited the UT to inquire about the security and development status of the region.

This year's visits assume significance as assembly elections are likely to be held in the UT within a few months. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and Minister for Road Transport & Highways Nitin Gadkari will also be part of the outreach-III programme, sources said.

On their return, the ministers will submit their reports to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) and Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA).