‘Committed to develop constituency in every sector’
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU, June 9: Son of the soil Dr Jitendra Singh was administered oath for the third consecutive term as Union Minister in Narendra Modi Government this evening. Dr Jitendra Singh is the first Dogra and first politician from J&K to become Union Minister for third consecutive term.
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It may be recalled that earlier former Sadar-e-Riyasat of J&K, Dr Karan Singh was Union Minister from 1967 to 1977 after which he quit the Congress and following a break of three years became the Minister for third time in the Choudhary Charan Singh Government.
Another politician from J&K who had the honour of becoming Union Minister for three terms was former Pradesh Congress president Mohammed Shafi Qureshi but he too was appointed after a break.
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From Jammu and Kashmir politics to the power corridors of Delhi, Dr Jitendra Singh is a familiar face known as an efficient task master, besides being one of the trustworthy members of the past two Governments headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Popularly known as “Dr Sahab”, Singh held multiple portfolios, including the Minister of State (MoS) in the all-powerful Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in the last decade — in both Modi 1.0 and 2.0.
He was administered the oath for third consecutive term as the Minister of State (independent charge) by President Droupadi Murmu at the Rashtrapati Bhavan here on Sunday.
Dr Jitendra Singh’s handling of important matters related to bureaucracy, governance and approach towards the development of Jammu and Kashmir has been praised by many.
Born in Jammu, 67-year-old Singh was inducted as the MoS in the PMO in 2014 as a first-time Lok Sabha member from the Udhampur constituency in Jammu and Kashmir.
The doctor-turned-politician has won the Udhampur Lok Sabha seat for the third time, defeating Congress candidate Choudhary Lal Singh.
Following PM Modi’s mantra of ‘maximum governance, minimum Government’, Singh’s role was pivotal in initiating key reforms, including transformation of Government offices, generation of wealth from waste, ensuring ease of living for pensioners and efficiently managing affairs related to the country’s bureaucracy, among others.
The Central Government earned Rs 1,162.49 crore in revenue by selling scrap and other unwanted items during special cleanliness campaigns it carried out between 2021 and 2023.
Dr Jitendra Singh also brought major changes to ensure time-bound resolution of governance-related grievances received from people across the country.
In an exclusive interview to Excelsior, Dr Jitendra Singh after his third consecutive victory as MP from Kathua –Doda and Udhampur Parliamentary constituency said the people of the region have rejected the opportunistic INDI Alliance and disapproved the false narrative created by it against BJP and Modi Government. He said PM Modi deserves credit for not only holding peaceful and incident free elections in Kashmir valley but the record participation of people in the electoral process this time in last over three decades has been the greatest achievement of his Government.
Taking a dig at INDI Alliance, he said that the false and baseless narrative created by its leaders against BJP and Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has been totally rejected by people of Jammu region who returned both the party candidates from Udhampur-Doda as well as Jammu -Reasi Parliamentary constituencies with a huge margin.
“It doesn’t matter who won the election from Valley but what is important that Indian democracy has emerged triumphant and those who were raising fingers on us and trying to defame the country have been taught a lesson by the people of Kashmir by reaffirming their faith in the greatest democracy of the world’’, Dr Jitendra Singh said.
“This Government during last two terms worked for Sabka Saath, Sabka Vikas and Sabka Vishwas. We gave priority to the development agenda by taking up umpteen development projects in hand in the UT of J&K which the earlier Governments had failed to do. We strictly acted on the party’s principle justice to all appeasement to none while transforming benefits of various welfare schemes to people in the UT’’, he added.
He said PM deserves credit of pulling Kashmir out of a long nightmare of gloom and uncertainty into the era of peace and prosperity. “Modi has changed the destiny of people of Kashmir and given them a dream of a bright future and this is the reason that people in large numbers have come out to participate in the festival of democracy for the first time in last over three decades’’, he added.
Dr Jitendra said that false narrative was created about rising unemployment by our opponents without knowing that employment opportunities were created for a large number of youth through Agri startups like Lavender cultivation.
Besides, Biotech Park at Ghati Kathua and Seed Processing Plant in the district which are first of its kind in North India also opened the vistas of employment for the youth of the UT. The seed processing plant will also add to the farmers’ income in the UT, he added.
Dr Jitendra Singh, while contesting the Opposition claims said that three new power projects are under construction in Kishtwar district which provided jobs to 50 thousand people.
Dr Jitendra Singh who gave credit of his success to the PM Modi’s development agenda and welfare schemes launched for the people of the country. “The credit goes to development projects and welfare schemes launched by the Government under the leadership of Modi in last 10 years and grassroots level workers who worked tirelessly for party’s victory,’’. “The people of my constituency and dedicated workers of the party are my real strength’’, he added.
“In next five years I will try to establish more close liaison with the people of my constituency so that their faith in the party and its leadership is redoubled,’’ he said, adding “Intensive attention will be paid for the welfare of the people of my constituency as I am one among them and it was with their blessings that I got another opportunity to serve my people.’’
He said in next five years he will work for making up the lapses in the past and creating new institutions which this constituency deserved. Next five years will be spent in consolidating these projects making it the North India’s important sector in education, health and industry.
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