Dr Syed Sehrish Asgar – Baramulla’s change agent shines with public service

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By Our Special Correspondent

New Delhi, April 22: Dr Syed Sehrish Asgar wears many hats. She was a medical professional who became an IPS officer, and finally settled as an IAS official. Helming Baramulla in Jammu and Kashmir, Asgar caught the national attention after bagging Prime Minister’s Award for Excellence in Public Administration-2022, highest award in civil services.

Drug abuse is now ell-known to be a major social challenge in Jammu and Kashmir and the Union Territory is opening several de-addiction centres. Across the age groups and gender divide, the people in the UT are failing into the grip of drug abuse.

Asgar took it as a task to gear the administration in the district to lend a helping hand to the people in their bids to get rid of the drug abuse. Youngsters, boys and girls alike, are being reported to be taking to drugs in big ways in the UT.

In one of her tweets, giving account of activities of the district administration, Asgar said: “In an all Government and all Department Approach, held a comprehensive review of all departments and formulated mechanisms to ensure that the menace of drugs is curbed.”

She commissioned bikes to reach far off areas in the district to extend helping hand from the administration for the livestock. As part of the aspirational district programme of the NITI Aayog, Baramulla reported surplus milk production, upgradation of health services, and education.

The Prime Minister’s award came as a recognition of her works for establishment of ‘Birth Waiting Wards’ in Primary Health Centres, Community Health Centres, Upgradation of diagnostic services at all delivery points and Poshan Tracker Tabs for all Anganwadi workers.

“The DC supported farmers through mechanisms, plant protection, nursery strengthening, robust rootstocks, quality planning material, etc., and organized a marketing facility established at Sopore which is the second largest Fruit Mandi in Asia,” the UT administration said in an official statement.

It further stated that Baramulla achieved 100 per cent saturation in milk production and now is milk surplus district. “Severe Acute Malnutrition has been reduced in the district to 0.01 per cent from three per cent and Moderate Acute Malnutrition to 0.039 per cent from 11.93 per cent. A two-year paramedical diploma course has been introduced for 300 border area students to fill up the critical gap in the health sector,” added the UT administration, while also stating that under financial inclusion, 56,215 PM Jan Dhan Yojana accounts were opened in the Baramulla district.

Under her watch, Baramulla also saw Fatehpora Panchayat bagging National Award under Women Friendly Panchayat theme for 2022-23. Also, Baramulla saw maximum number of ‘Out Of School Children’ coming back to schools. “It gives me immense satisfaction to start the setting up of KG classes, smart boards and sanitary napkin vending machines and incinerators for the remotest parts of Baramulla with the award money of Aspirational district,” noted Asgar in a tweet.