'Landslide-hit Saddal to be developed as 'smart' village in 18

Union minister Jitendra Singh today said that landslide-hit Saddal-Panjar area of Udhampur district, where at least 40 people were buried alive, will be developed as a "smart" village in 18 months.
The Minister of State in PMO said that an NGO, 'Love Care Foundation', a constituent unit of 'Concentrix India', and a subsidiary of multi-national IT company 'Synnex', US, are helping in transforming the village in a time-bound manner.
"The hutments for rehabilitation will be ready at Panjar by next month and the major work for developing a 'smart' village will be completed in about next 18 months," he said.

Singh is also the elected member of Lok Sabha from Udhampur.
Representatives of the NGO and the two firms today met the Union minister and presented a detailed plan about the project.
They told Singh that Rs 50 lakh has already been spent on the project and an additional budget will be allocated for the remaining part.

Singh said that he was committed to fund the project from his MPLAD (Member of Parliament Local Area Development) fund but since the budget was very huge, the support offered by the NGO and the firms will be appreciated.
The minister said that the September floods were unprecedented in the history of Jammu and Kashmir and as a chosen representative from the area he was trying to discharge his obligation to the affected people of the area.

Part of Saddal-Panjal village was flattened by a massive landslide triggered by heavy rains, in which 41 people were buried on September 7.