Bilaspur, April 27:A review meeting of centrally sponsored schemes under the District Development Coordination and Monitoring Committee (DISHA) was held late Saturday evening at the Savings Hall, Bilaspur. The meeting was chaired by Member of Parliament Anurag Thakur.

Local MLAs Randhir Sharma, J.R. Katwal, Trilok Jamwal, and other government and non-government members of the committee were present.

Addressing the officers, Anurag Thakur emphasized the need for proactive and result-oriented implementation of all central government schemes.

Highlighting the importance of inter-departmental coordination, he noted that delays in development projects often stem from the shortcomings of individual departments. Thakur called upon all departments to work in synergy to accelerate district development.

Forestry officials were instructed to organize large-scale awareness drives to prevent forest fires during the dry season. Thakur also urged active involvement of Self Help Groups and other voluntary organizations in these campaigns.

To boost farmers’ incomes, he called for integrated plans between the Agriculture, Horticulture, and Animal Husbandry departments, suggesting that the experiences of elected representatives be incorporated to make the initiatives more locally relevant and effective.

In regard to infrastructure, he issued directions for resolving parking and drainage issues at the AIIMS Bilaspur campus. Officers were asked to conduct joint inspections to address problems faced by patients and visitors. Furthermore, he instructed officials to expedite land identification for establishing a Kendriya Vidyalaya for the children of AIIMS staff and doctors.

Addressing the grievances linked to the railway expansion works, he asked railway officials to prioritize addressing structural damages and other inconveniences faced by residents.

On the health front, Thakur stressed achieving TB-free status for the district ahead of the national target under the 'TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan'. While noting that only 29 panchayats had achieved TB-free status so far, he emphasized the need for intensified efforts.