Ravi Dhaliwal
Dera Baba Nanak, December 22
The Gurdaspur district administration has rolled out the Absolute Border Area Development (Aabad) scheme, taking various services on doorsteps of villagers living in the vicinity of the International Border (IB).
The first Aabad camp, a brainchild of Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Aggarwal, was held in the heart of Dera Baba Nanak, a stone’s throw away from the IB today. The administration achieved its target of reaching out to hundreds of residents of Dera Baba Nanak township and a dozen villages.
The services related to Aadhaar and departments of health, agriculture, policing, diary development, fisheries, cooperative banks, etc were provided to villagers. The grievances of people, who had problems with old-age pensions and border area certificates, were also resolved. Water supply, sanitation and link roads were given priority.
The DC also roped in the BSF. The security agency’s officers gave information on recruitment-related procedures. An officer of the Batala police delivered a lecture to students informing them about the ill-effects of drugs. Youngsters were also told whom to contact if they found anybody selling drugs.
Despite cold weather, people started thronging the venue, the stadium, in large numbers. Those who needed help were sent to a stall set up by volunteers of the City Welfare Club, who had established a help desk.
“The administrative officers travelled 40 km from the District Administrative Complex (DAC) to the IB to ensure that villagers did not have to come to Gurdaspur city for getting services or any other administrative work done,” said an official.
The maximum rush, with women vastly outnumbering men, was seen at the Aadhaar counter.
