Dr Varinder Sharma
Liberal funds proposed for Jammu and Kashmir by the Union Government as part of financial budget for the year 2024-25 establish that money is not a problem and all we need to do is ensure that this Union Territory (UT) that as an erstwhile state had suffered because of misrule, nepotism, selective development or corruption must sail through that rot smoothly and become a beacon for development and growth. At a time when militancy is almost residual, the poison of separatism is finished and young boys and girls are coming forward to write their own future, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is opening up new vistas of development for them.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had pegged Jammu and Kashmir Union Territory’s (UT) interim budget at Rs 59,364 crore and said that the full budget will be of the size of Rs 1.18 lakh crore. The manner in which roads, bridges, tunnels or flyovers are being built in J&K, far off places like Poonch, Rajouri, Akhnoor, Kathua, Katra, Jammu, Doda, Udhampur, Baramulla, Kashmir and even UT of Ladakh is getting connected to rest of the world through a well laid down road and rail network. This was the first and foremost mega infrastructural development needed to open up our UT for investors to make their presence felt here in a big way.
This Northernmost part of Bharat that had ample resources or potential including that of mining, power generation and of course tourism never got such a fillip which the BJP led Government at the Centre has given it. Today lithium is being auctioned, funds for completing power projects are pouring in and many new tourist destinations are either being explored or developed to enable people to have a shared financial growth. Rs 660 crore for J&K’s equity for the hydro-electric projects at Ratle, Kwar, Kiru will make UT self-sufficient in power generation.
To add to this is promotion of religious tourism which is why Tirupati Temple has come up in Jammu and Border Road Organisation (BRO) is building a road to Shri Amarnath ji cave shrine for the convenience of devotees. Provision of improving road connectivity with Rs 1683 crore for PMGSY roads speaks of the Government’s priorities. Establishment of IITs, IIM, AIIMS and other important institutions have made the UT shine on international maps of health and education. Provision of Rs 91 crore kept for developing new tourism destinations and building ropeways besides resting places and promotion of Golf will add to UT’s beauty.
Ever since Article 370 was abrogated hundreds of laws that encouraged streamlining of the system of governance were implemented here and most importantly one such law strengthened Panchayati Raj institutions for which Centre this year also kept a good amount of money in the budget to ensure development of rural areas. Accommodation and offices for DDCs and BDCs will be one such step in this direction for which Rs 80 crore has been kept and Rs 272 crore for DDC/BDC grants kept to improve local governance at district and block levels.
The Civil Secretariat, the highest seat of power or Government offices that had become den of corruption and were frequented by visitors for leisure purposes are doing serious businesses to help people seek benefits from Government schemes. Good governance, that was ambiguous, is today felt on the ground and now that Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML) and Internet of Things (IOT) are being introduced, people will be getting services delivered at their doorsteps rather on phones and computers. The step will also encourage e-governance in all offices and especially Panchayats.
Never in the history of India, any Prime Minister has ever cared to look towards keeping Bharat clean. Now that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made it a way of life and especially kept money for the purpose, J&K too got its share of Rs 370 cr under Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Urban) scheme. This is also one of the faces of changing Bharat.
A lot of sites of heritage importance in J&K were either abandoned, neglected or crumbling. Though the department of archives, archaeology and museums did wonders in locating and preserving many lost sites including temples, the financial assistance of the Union Government to the tune of Rs 100 crore for heritage preservation is indeed a welcome step. Many lost temples, bowlis and even water reservoirs are coming to life. This money will help rejuvenate them all and make tourists flock there in large numbers.
To name a few, these initiatives are going to give Jammu and Kashmir a never before like progress. These steps will strengthen the tier of democracy, boosting agriculture, promote investments, generate employment, give a fillip to development and help women live an honourable life. Since there has been a steep decline in militancy related activities, people in Jammu and Kashmir have been able to pursue their businesses and careers like never before. An era of 60s or 70s is dawning here when shooting of films used to take place in Kashmir and tourism was at its peak.
Rs 1284.45 crore allocated for security related activities for 2024-25 means that there’s going to be no let-up in the situation. Borders stand sealed, sympathisers of militants are facing sealing of their properties, our security agencies are being offensive and infrastructural development in Kashmir as well as Jammu is paving a way for progress and prosperity. The Union Government giving top priority to the school and higher education sector, relief and rehabilitation of Kashmiri migrants, housing and urban development department besides industries and commerce means J&K is heading towards a new era.
Besides ensuring that electricity and water reach every house, the Government is working on war footings to ensure that investments reach here in abundance after which massive employment will be generated here. So far J&K has received investment proposals worth Rs 90182 crore and investment worth Rs 5319 crore which is a great trend. This is for sure that political parties like Congress, National Conference (NC) or Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) clubbed together couldn’t have ensured such a massive development in J&K in even the next five decades.
Now that we have come forward in development, ensuring peace and putting the economy back on rails in Jammu and Kashmir there’s no looking back. In years to come especially when BJP will come to power at the centre for the third consecutive term, the UT will witness development at par with any other state or UT in Bharat. The way youth are cooperating, reaping benefits of Government schemes, saying no to militancy, participating in progressive initiatives, playing sports, building up startups, promoting new tourist destinations and most importantly helping create jobs a new future lies ahead for J&K and no one on this earth can deny our UT it’s this right to flourish.
(The writer is Co-convenor, Professional Cell BJP J&K)
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