Bandipora : Deputy Commissioner Bandipora, Indu Kanwal Chib, Tuesday launched an institutional plantation drive at District Hospital (DH) Bandipora, organised by the Social Forestry Division Baramulla in collaboration with the Health Department and District Administration Bandipora.
As part of the initiative, the DC planted conifer saplings within the hospital premises, formally marking the start of the plantation programme aimed at enhancing the district’s green cover and encouraging community participation in environmental conservation.
On the occasion, the DC also distributed 400 saplings of male poplar and Ulmus among 40 beneficiaries under the Farm Forestry Scheme, provided free of cost to promote household-level afforestation.
The programme was attended by DFO Social Forestry Division Baramulla, Danish Khan; Medical Superintendent DH Bandipora, Dr. Mukhtar Ahmad; Range Officer Bandipora, and medical and field staff from the organising departments.
Later, the Deputy Commissioner paid a surprise visit to the Sakhi One Stop Centre (OSC) Bandipora to assess its functioning and service delivery mechanisms for women in distress. She inspected case registers, counselling records, intake processes and follow-up mechanisms to evaluate the quality of support being provided.
She emphasised the importance of timely interventions, victim protection, and regular follow-ups while calling for strengthened inter-departmental coordination to ensure effective handling of women-related cases.
The DC reiterated that the OSC must remain a safe, accessible and responsive support system for women facing violence or crisis situations.