‘Aim to work for welfare of people’
Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Aug 16: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha warned of befitting reply to any attempt of aggression and said that his administration is committed to safeguard the national interest.
Sinha said this during his address at the Independence Day function here yesterday. “We believe in peace and mutual goodwill. We are fully committed to safeguard national interests and if provoked, we are capable of giving a befitting response to any attempt of aggression,” he added.
The LG said that terrorism is one of the gravest threats to peace and progress. ”The ideology of terrorism and separatism is cancer for society and all its forms have to be completely eliminated. We need to identify the remaining elements and isolate them. We need to stop using double standards for terrorism,” he said.
Sinha said that the administration is determined to strike the last nail in the terror ecosystem. “A terrorist has to be called a terrorist. We are determined to take decisive and tough action against terrorism and strike the last nail in the coffin of the terrorist- secessionist ecosystem,” he said.
The lauded the security forces for their role in curbing terrorism in the J&K. “I want to assure our brave soldiers guarding the borders that citizens of Jammu and Kashmir and the entire nation stand shoulder to shoulder with you,” he said.
Sinha said sincere efforts have been made for the welfare of the people and ensuring peace in everyone’s life.
“I have dedicated every moment of my life to keep those promises and to usher Jammu and Kashmir in a new era of peace and prosperity. My ultimate aim is to put a smile on the common man’s face,” he said.
The LG said that every policy and every decision has been taken to ensure that all sections of society are given a fair and equal opportunity. “Every policy and every decision has been made so that all including farmers, soldiers, labourers, women, teachers, engineers, doctors and businessmen are given a fair and equal opportunity for a brighter future, so that they can contribute in building a confident and self-reliant Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
Sinha highlighted the steps taken by his administration including reviving tourism, holding G20 working group meeting in Srinagar, dismantling the terror ecosystem, providing land to the landless and developing infrastructure in the Union Territory.
The LG termed 2023 as the golden year for Jammu and Kashmir. “The successful G20 meeting, which saw massive public participation, testifies that the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir have broken their shackles and are raring to scale new height,” he said.
Sinha said that despite the conspiracies and attempts of the neighbouring countries to disturb the event, representatives from 27 nations participated in the meeting here which was a “loud and clear message to our adversaries”.
“The G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting not only strengthened diplomatic ties, but also opened new avenues for global partnership that will help in tapping the tourism potential of Jammu and Kashmir. I am proud to inform you that since the G20 event, there has been an increase of 59 per cent in foreign tourist arrivals in Kashmir Valley, as compared to the previous year,” he said.
Sinha said while Jammu and Kashmir received a total of 1.88 crore tourists last year, it has already seen a footfall of 1.27 crore visitors in the first seven months of the year.
“We have welcomed 1.27 crore tourists till July this year, another record in the history of the tourism sector,” he added.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
