J&K: 9 UNION MINISTERS HOLD OUTREACH EVENTS ON DAY 2
Says Centre will soon come out with industrial package for the UT
JAMMU: As part of their public outreach programme in J&K, nine Union ministers visited nine places across Jammu region on Sunday.
Union minister Smriti Irani went to Katra, Mahendranath Pandey visited Dhanshal, Arjun Ram Meghwal visited Kathua, G Muralidharan also visited Kathua, while Anurag Thakur and Piyush Goyal did their public outreach programmes in Jammu.
These apart, Union minister Jitendra Singh visited Udhampur, RK Dodha and Ashwini Choubey visited Samba.
While Goyal claimed that project execution speed had doubled since J&K became UT, Anurag said the time was ripe for Kashmiri Pandits to return to the Valley.
Asserting that a “new wave of development has just begun” in the UT, Irani promised that a textile unit would be set up in Reasi soon.
JAMMU: Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed tremendous growth and development post governor’s rule and project execution speed has doubled since it became a Union Territory (UT), said commerce minister Piyush Goel, who was here as part of government’s outreach programme. The initiative is aimed at spreading awareness about central schemes implemented in the Valley after revocation of article 370.
The Centre would come out with an industrial package for the UT soon and expressed hope that it would attract large amounts of investment to the Valley, said Goyal who was part of the second batch of Union ministers who reached Jammu along with Smriti Irani and Anurag Thakur.
“Today I got a glimpse of fast pace of growth and development that J&K has witnessed since governor rule was imposed in June 2018. It was followed by president’s rule and later J&K became a Union Territory,” said.
“Several projects in J&K have been stuck for many years. Those projects got shot in the arm when J&K became an UT. Earlier, many central laws, such as law granting equal rights to women, anti-corruption laws were not applicable here,” he said while addressing a public meeting in Akhnoor, Jammu.
Goel said now J&K residents are covered under central schemes while many stuck projects, including three hydroelectric and two irrigation projects, are now moving at a fast pace.
Also the ongoing work on the Jammu-Udhampur-Katra-Quazigund-Srinagar-Baramulla rail has gathered pace, he said. “The funds allocated for the project has been utilised and additional funds were required. We are hopeful that reaming 111km stretch will be completed by December 2021”. He claimed that the situation in UT is normal.0
“The situation is normal in J&K as 99% students took part in various exams. Tourism footfall too has increased. Prepaid mobile services have been restored.”
On the opposition charge that the Union ministers’ visit is a diversionary tactic to deflect people attention from real issues, Goel said, “Does the opposition mean that Kashmir does not deserves attention? Is the opposition unhappy because we are taking development to remotest corner of J&K, Leh and Kargil?”
IRANI INAUGURATES FOOTBRIDGE
Meanwhile, Union Minister Smriti Irani inaugurated a footbridge and laid the foundation stone of a water tank in Moori village of Reasi in J&K.
Addressing a gathering, she said the abrogation of Article 370 will bring development and prosperity for the UT.
“A new journey has begun in J&K after it was made a UT. A journey where the Sarpanch can keep the people safe and happy. The development will not be limited to schools. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also planned to establish IITs and IIMs here which will come true,” she added.
WORK ON JAMMU AIIMS TO START NEXT MONTH: ASHWINI CHOUBEY
Union Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey said that works on the ₹1,661 crore All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) project in Samba district of J&K would commence next month.
The Union minister of state for health and family welfare visited the site identified for the establishment of AIIMS at Vijaynagar and took stock of the progress in the project, an official spokesperson said.
According to the spokesperson, the minister said that civil works on the prestigious project would be taken up in February.