Inaugurates Katra Navratri festival
Excelsior Correspondent
KATRA, Oct 16: Hitting hard at dynastic parties, Union Minister of State in PMO with Independent charge of Science and Technology, Dr Jitendra Singh said Reasi district including holy town of Katra were totally ignored by the previous Governments as it did not fit their vote politics.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of an inaugural function of Navratra festival here today, Dr Jitendra Singh said prior to 2014 when Modi Government assumed office at Delhi the roads in Katra and Reasi were in shambles and it was taking two hours from Katra to reach Reasi town due to bad condition of road.
But today the situation has totally changed and many development projects and schemes were launched for the Reasi district and holy town of Katra to provide succour to the people who were deprived of basic facilities and amenities by previous rulers for vote politics, he added.
Dr Jitendra Singh said Prime Minister, Narendra Modi is so obsessed with holy township of Katra that in 2014 he started his election campaign after paying obeisance at the Darbar of Mata Vaishno Devi.
Later, after becoming Prime Minister, he inaugurated the Railway Station at Katra.
He said many steps were taken for the development of the area and the Vande Bharat train was started by Modi Government from Katra to Delhi.
Dr Jitendra Singh said that Katra has been included among 10 iconic holy cities to be developed by the Government as Inter Model Station. The project has been approved, he added.
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Dr Jitendra Singh, while lambasting the dynastic parties who ruled J&K for over six decades said during last nine years of Modi Government Katra has been put on fast track development to overcome the lapses and negligence of earlier Governments.
The Union Minister alleged that it was the result of earlier Governments failure to pay attention towards the development of holy town that led to drug abuse despite the fact that this township was the fountain head of social values.
Dr. Jitendra Singh also expressed concern over the menace of drug addiction spreading even to Reasi district and the holy destination of Katra Vaishnodevi.
The Minister said he was disturbed to receive reports about rising cases of substance abuse by the youth in this region.
The Minister had held review meetings with the local administration and law enforcing agencies on the matter in the last two days.
Dr Jitendra Singh appealed to parents and the local administration to wean away children from drugs, saying their potential must be harnessed to realise Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s vision of making India a developed nation by 2047. He said the sanctity of the holy city of Katra must be preserved, and it must become a source of inspiration for social values.
The Minister said a strategic plan is being formulated at the local administration level and social level to check drug addiction. Hotspots will be identified and social awareness will be created to curb the menace, he informed.
Dr Jitendra Singh was speaking after inaugurating the Navratri festival and Multimedia Exhibition, organised by Central Bureau of Communication, Union Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, here to mark the auspicious Navratras.
The theme of the weeklong exhibition being organised at Government Boys Higher Secondary School, Katra is nine Years of Seva, Sushasan and Garib Kalyan. The exhibition coincides with Navratri Festival in Katra.
Dr Jitendra Singh said the development of the region is the top priority of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Government at the Centre. He said revolutionary development has taken place in the region in the last nine years.
Talking about infrastructure projects, Dr Jitendra Singh said the world’s highest railway bridge has come up in Reasi. The Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway is soon going to be ready. He said, Katra was the second station in the country to get Vande Bharat train and when the rail line is through with Kashmir valley by this year end, Katra will be a an important junction.
Katra was singled out for the Modi Government’s PRASAD scheme, informed the Minister and said soon it will also have Multimode Inter Station.
In his address, Joint Director, Central Bureau of Communication (CBC), Jammu, Ghulam Abbas said the unit has been creating awareness about Government schemes and programmes among the public. Today’s exhibition is part of the efforts to reach the message to the grassroots, he added.
DDC Chairman, Reasi Sarv Singh, Deputy Commissioner, Reasi, Babila Rakwal, SSP Reasi Amit Sharma, Chairman Municipal Shashi Gupta, Vice Chairman, Ajay Baru, DDC members, PRIs and other senior officials of the administration were present on the occasion.
Also present were former Minister Ajay Nanda, former MLA Baldev Sharma, local activists Prabhat Singh, Rohit Dubey and others.
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