Jammu, June 12: Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh on Monday said that Udhampur-Kathua-Doda is among the country’s most developed Lok Sabha constituencies in the last nine years.
Addressing a public rally in Udhampur district to mark the completion of nine years of the government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Dr Singh said that this has been possible because Prime Minister Narendra Modi was forthcoming in giving high priority to the regions that had been neglected by the earlier governments, he said.
“Udhampur got North India’s first river rejuvenation project in the form of Rs 190 cr Devika project,”
said Dr Singh adding that the question to ask is why no earlier government or MP took it up even though river Devika has been there for centuries and has been worshipped by all as the elder sister of Ganga.
Udhampur also got its first Radio Station for which the demand had existed for over half a century, he said.
Dr Singh said Udhampur-Kathua-Doda Parliamentary Constituency is perhaps the only Constituency in India which got three medical Colleges from central funds in these 9 years.
He said, “this constituency has distinguished its name in India and in the world as the birthplace of ‘Purple Revolution’ which has given birth to Agri-tech Start-Ups and lavender farming not only in J&K but across the country.”
This Parliamentary Constituency has all the potential to contribute to the Start-Up movement promoted by PM Narendra Modi, Dr Jitendra Singh said and recalled that only recently PM Modi had referred twice to Bhaderwah’s lavender cultivation, first in Mann Ki Baat and later in a tweet.
Enumerating various infrastructural developments that have taken place over the last many years in this constituency, Dr Singh said, the highest railway bridge in the world, higher than the Eiffel Tower and Dr Shyama Prasad Mookherjee tunnel, the longest road tunnel in Asia are both located in this constituency making it an infrastructural marvel in the country.
In terms of road and highway development in this constituency, Dr Singh said, the Vande- Bharat Express from Katra to Delhi, North India’s first ever Cable-Stayed Bridge Atal Setu, J&K’s first interState bridge at Keerian-Gandyal, North India’s first Express Road Corridor from Delhi to Katra via Kathua, the new National Highway from Lakhanpur-Bani-Basohli-Doda via Chattargala Tunnel have made this constituency best connected leading to its tremendous development compared to the other constituencies.
“Udhampur district located in this constituency has stood number one in the country in terms of construction of roads under PMGSY,” Dr Jitendra Singh added.
He further said that the establishment of an InterModal Station (IMS) at Katra, a world-class state of the art project in this constituency will not only improve the travelling experience of the pilgrims visiting Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine but will open numerous opportunities in terms of employment, trade etc. for the people of this constituency.
With half a dozen power projects in different stages of construction, Kishtwar is all set to emerge as North India’s “power hub”, the Minister said.
Further, Dr Jitendra Singh said, India’s first-of-its-kind National Institute of High Altitude Medicine has come up in Bhaderwah.
The constituency got two Passport offices in Kathua and Udhampur respectively, he said.
A statue of Maharaja Gulab Singh, founder Dogra ruler, has been put up at the entry point at Lakhanpur while Patnitop got a Gandola in the last few years, said Dr Jitendra Singh.
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