Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah has asked the concerned departments to gradually shift government offices to city outskirts in order to decongest traffic.

While building new offices, Omar said, the government departments should avoid creating non-productive infrastructure as land is shrinking in the cities and towns due to economic activities and construction of residential houses.

The CM while addressing a meeting yesterday to review the recommendations of a committee for decongesting Srinagar and Jammu cities asked the Housing and Estates Departments to take initiative for construction of new flats for government employees.

The employees will then be shifted from the tourism infrastructure in Srinagar city, he said.

Emphasising widening of roads along with the rehabilitation of the families and commercial establishments which have come under the infrastructural development, Omar said, a plan to this effect needs to be formulated at the earliest.

Reviewing the proposals of J&K Housing Board for construction of new housing colonies in Srinagar and Jammu cities, the CM constituted a Sub-Committee under the Chief Secretary to finalise the possible modalities for construction of such colonies.

Omar said while construction of new colonies is essential to meet the housing requirements of the people, the environmental, land use, funding pattern and other necessary aspects needs to be analysed along with a concrete proposal.

Deputy CM Tara Chand, who holds the Housing and Urban Development portfolio, and other senior officials of various departments were also present in the meeting.