Terming ”democracy and determination” as new examples projected by Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Narendra Modi while addressing the representatives of the Panchayati Raj Institutions, coinciding with the National Panchayati Raj Day in Palli village of Samba district, assured the people that what Jammu and Kashmir was deprived of in the past would now see a reversal thereof as proven by numerous development initiatives undertaken in the last two to three years. If the visit of the PM, his first post abrogation of the Article 370, to Jammu and Kashmir, is described as landmark due to host of reasons, it would not be an overstatement. One of the major components of PM’s Mission J&K on his visit comprised, as got revealed, a basket of Rs.20000 crore worth of projects which were inaugurated and foundation stones thereof laid by him on Sunday April 24. Notable feature of the visit was choosing the village of Samba – Palli for more reasons than one as the village was going to be the first Carbon Neutral Panchayat not of the UT only but of the entire country which is to be cast on the international canvas with reference to Glasgow Summits towards carbon neutrality targets.
Hence Palli enters history in a splendid way while a prestigious 500 KV solar plant was inaugurated by the Prime Minister, the people rightly terming the day as “red letter day” in modern India’s journey of “development and transformation”. Pooh- poohing those who wondered that not even a “Dhaba ” was in Palli where one could have meals etc , the Prime Minister in chaste Dogri proudly described , ” Mithi aye Dogrein di bolee ta khand mithe log Dogrey” and noted how the people of the village and even neighbouring areas vied with one another in pooling enough provisions for meals for days together for all those people who were engaged in the solar project in their village. Not only that, the people actively co-operating and extending all help to the concerned in the coming up of the project proved beyond doubt as to how much were people interested in development and progress of their respective areas for a better living .
As many as 350 houses in the model Panchayat of village Palli are slated to get environmental friendly and clean electricity under “Gram Urja Swaraj” programme, most of the houses in the village have already been provided with the solar Chullas or stoves. It was noteworthy to see the Prime Minister dwelling upon the importance and empowerment of Panchayati Raj Institutions and the UT has a special significance in the context as people’s fears that in the past, many developmental projects lacked ”transparency”, quality and speed needed to be allayed which to a larger extent, now the three tier system of Panchayati Raj from village, block and district levels could ensure across Jammu and Kashmir.
Notable developments about the Panchayats, among other things, are implementing of 175 central laws to make them feeling duly empowered to perform better. Added to that, the PM assuring about that absolute transparency and “no delay in movement of files” and “every citizen of the UT no more to be deprived of doing the usual normal business one liked” cleared all the mist, if any, still around. The focus was to remain on priorities like health, education and employment in the UT. Industrial environment and huge investments pouring in from private investors both from within the country as also from other countries was poised to change the meaning of ”conventional” development in the area concerned. Total investments Rs.38000 crore of the last three years in Jammu and Kashmir exceeded the total investments during the last several years indicating taking place of fast development. Stressing on the mission of more connectivity of J&K with rest of the country and referring to 670 Km, four lane wide and expandable to eight lanes- Katra- Amritsar- Delhi Expressway to be the main factor for that, the PM, as such, hoped it to be a reality in the near future to connect two far ends of the country, that of Kanyakumari and Kashmir through a straight road.
That the PM exhorted the youth of the Valley to work hard and be assured that the ”hardships which your grandparents and elders witnessed during their time would never ever be seen or undergone by you” conveyed more assurance, promise and a transparent and responsive governing system in Jammu and Kashmir which could mean more of that provided complete peace was restored. The PM, while underlining how tourism industry was thriving with unprecedented number of tourists visiting the UT, also conveyed the general message of peace, tranquillity and stability in the UT especially the valley having reached all corners to restore complete confidence and sense of security in visiting tourists and related activities- sporadic militancy related acts taking place notwithstanding. It is to be seen that besides by road, hundreds of thousands of tourists were arriving by air, the number of single day landing and taking off of aircraft having, many a time during the current and the last months, broken all previous records of Srinagar Airport.
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