Srinagar admin forms committee to ensure smooth movement of essential services during lockdown

DC Srinagar chairs meeting of committee members and heads of essential service departments; Health dept given top priority: SSP Srinagar

The Srinagar district administration has constituted a committee to prevent occurrence of issues and ensure quick redressal of concerns surrounding movement of officials of essential services during ongoing restrictions in the district, officials said Wednesday.

The committee comprises senior officers from the district administration and the police department. It also includes two representatives from the health department for specific issues related to hospitals.

To discuss the role of the committee and concerns and ideas of stakeholders a meeting was held on Wednesday under the chairmanship of Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Dr Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, said an official.

Officers from essential services departments including from the Health department and those from the police department attended the meeting.

Extensive discussions were held in the meeting on issues surrounding movement of essential services officials and possible solutions to them in order that movement of the said officials can be further facilitated during the ongoing restrictions.

The main focus of discussions was movement of health department officials and staff and how it could be further facilitated. It also discussed the mechanism in place for all essential services.

Suggestions in this regard were sought from the officials of the department and heads of hospitals themselves — including the Principal GMC Srinagar Dr Samia Rashid and the Medical Superintendents of associated hospitals of GMC who were all present in the meeting.

SSP Srinagar, Dr Haseeb Mughal along with SP East Sheena Nabi and SP South Sajad Shah were also present in the meeting.

Dr Haseeb Mughal, while speaking on the occasion, said that besides ensuring enforcement of restrictions and prevention of movement that is prohibited the police is also ensuring that movement of all essential services’ officials is facilitated.

He said that being the most critical in the current times the health department is being prioritised among the essential services departments as far as facilitation of movement is concerned. He said movement of all officials and staff of the health department is being allowed without movement passes and will continue to be across the district.

He said the two recent incidents wherein it was alleged that health officials were not allowed to move should be treated as aberrations assuring that all such instances are taken a serious note of and corrected wherever it is found to be genuine and required.

Dr Shahid while speaking on the occasion said the district administration is available round-the-clock to redress all issues and concerns.

He thanked both the health and police departments and all their officials for their tireless and outstanding efforts in these challenging times.

Senior officers representing other essential services departments including all concerned Superintending Engineers also attended the meeting. Director Health Services Kashmir Dr Samir Mattoo and CMO Srinagar Dr Jehangir Bakshi were also present in the meeting.

Meanwhile, the coordination committee that has been constituted for the purpose of ensuring quick resolution of concerns comprises five members.

These include Harvinder Singh (IAS) and Sajjad Qadri (KAS) from the district administration and Dr G H Yattoo (SKIMS) and Dr Wasim Qureshi (GMC Srinagar) from the Health department. Anayat Choudhary (IPS) who is another member of the committee represents the Police department.