‘Post Aug 2019, golden period for J&K’
Excelsior Correspondent
PALLI (SAMBA), Apr 24: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said today that security forces are engaged in destroying terror ecosystem in Jammu and Kashmir and this is the first Government which doesn’t believe in buying peace but will establish peace in the Union Territory.
Addressing the gathering here in Samba district in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Sinha lauded Jammu and Kashmir Police, Army and other security forces for the work being done by them.
“This is the first Government which doesn’t believe in buying but establishing peace. Our security forces are engaged in destroying terror ecosystem in J&K,” Sinha said.
He said Jammu and Kashmir was dreaming of ‘Ek Vidhaan, Ek Nishaan’ for last 70 years which was fulfilled by the Prime Minister who made 1.20 crore people of J&K as partner of real development in the UT.
Describing “post August 2019” as “golden period of Jammu and Kashmir”, Sinha said now there is no discrimination with anyone and listed series of measures taken by the Government for welfare of the people and boost development works.
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“During last 32 months, Jammu and Kashmir has been marching towards new era because of the commitment of the Prime Minister to take it to new heights of development,” he added.
Sinha said during last six months, 80 lakh tourists visited Jammu and Kashmir breaking record of last 15 years.
He said that Jammu and Kashmir is not only marching ahead but competing with developed States of the country though once it used to be far behind in different rankings. He attributed this progress to reforms introduced in J&K post August 5, 2019 (when the Central Government had scrapped special status of erstwhile State and bifurcated it into two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh).
Lauding Prime Minister Narendra Modi for establishing three-tier Panchayati Raj System in Jammu and Kashmir for the first time in 70 years, Sinha said J&K had Rs 5136 crore Capex budget in 2020-21 which went up to Rs 12,600 crore in 2021-22 and it has now further been raised to Rs 22,126 crore for districts for this year i.e. 2022-23.
“Credit for all this goes to the Prime Minister,” he said.
This has also been a golden period for industrial development in the Union Territory after the Prime Minister announced Rs 28,400 crore worth Industrial Development Scheme for Jammu and Kashmir, he added.
“During last 70 years, Jammu and Kashmir received total investments in private sector to the tune of Rs 15,000 crore while during last just one year it got Rs 52,155 crore worth industrial investments,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
In the next six months, the investments are likely to cross Rs 70,000 crore which will generate 5-6 lakh jobs.
Sinha said under the leadership of Narendra Modi, Jammu and Kashmir is marching toward development.
“While in 2018-19, 9229 projects were completed at the cost of Rs 67,000 crore, in 2020-21, the Government completed 21943 projects by spending Rs 4,000 crore less i.e. Rs 63,000 crore. In 2021-22 financial year, 51,891 works have been executed with 20-25 percent less expenditure,” he said.
He said not only the Government has increased five times speed of works but has also made system accountable and transparent in such a manner that even a person sitting in the villages can watch them on his mobile telephone.
“Presently, we are spending Rs one lakh crore on road and tunnel infrastructure, Earlier, 1500 kilometre roads were constructed in an year but the figure has now gone up to 3200 kilometres,” Sinha said.
Similarly, he added, prior to 2019, 2000 kilometres road were blacktopped in a year. However, during last financial year, 6625 kilometres road length was macadamized.
In 2017, Jammu and Kashmir figured at 11th place in Pardhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana while presently it is at Number 3 in the entire country, the Lieutenant Governor said.
He also referred to construction of two near Airport terminals in Jammu and Srinagar.
“On an average, 105 flights are operating daily from Srinagar airport while last month, 1346 record flights operated from Jammu Airport,” Sinha said.
He added that 12,000 jobs have been given in last one year in most transparent manner while process for selection of 9278 more has been completed.