Change brought 6 months ago was good: VK Singh
Says the purpose of his visit was not to make speeches and talk politics but to see if the “change” had made any real impact on the ground
JAMMU: In an indirect reference to the revocation of Article 370 and 35-A in August 2019, Union minister and former Indian army chief General VK Singh (retd) on Monday said that a change, which will benefit all, had come around six months ago and that he was there to see if the ‘change’ had made any impact on the ground.
On August 5 and 6, the parliament had revoked the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated it into two UTs —Ladakh without legislature and J&K with legislature.
Addressing a public meet in Udhampur, Singh said that purpose of his visit was not to make speeches and talk politics but to see if the “change” had made any impact on the ground.Gen Singh interacted with the people and heard their problems. He asked the people to register their remaining issues with Udhampur deputy commissioner Dr Piyush Singla, who would forward the same to him.
He said the Centre was focussing its attention on things that had been hitherto neglected. “Things are moving in the right direction and I am confident that more work will be done in the next few years,” he said, adding that the Centre was focused on key sectors such as agriculture, education, health, roads, and electricity.
He said Udhampur has a good number of ex-servicemen here and they can contribute their bit by helping the administration implement projects.
“I am sure that in the next few years this area will be transformed. A change, which we all know about, has come in the last six months and it is a change that will benefit all,” he said in a reference to revocation of Article 370.
He conducted the public outreach programme on the premises of Government Higher Secondary School, Tikri.
DEBASAREE, SARANGI HIGHLIGHT PROJECTS FOR J&K
JAMMU: Union minister of state for women and child development, Debasree Chaudhuri, on Monday laid foundation stones for construction of roads from Machine Domana to Chibba Chak in Block Bhalwal and Lahori Chak, Gajnasoo Bazaar to Rathua in Block Marh of Jammu district.
While addressing the gathering at Marh, she said that the government of India was according special focus to ensuring better basic services to people of Jammu and Kashmir.
She said integrated child development services was an ambitious initiative of government which provides food, preschool education, primary healthcare, immunisation, health check up and referral services to children and their mothers.
She highlighted various development programmes and schemes being launched by the government of India for welfare of the people of Jammu and Kashmir with emphasis on unattended and inaccessible parts.
She also made a mention of other people-friendly centrally sponsored schemes including midday meal, pulse polio, child protection and development, ujawala, beti bachao beti padao and connected schemes.
Later, various deputations called on the minister and submitted a memorandum of their demands and problems to the MoS, which included issues like 4% reservation quota and separate schools for the physically challenged community and all other facilities which are applicable in different states and UTs
Meanwhile, another union minister Partap Chandra Sarangi said that the government toiling hard to ensure all round development of every part of Jammu and Kashmir with emphasis on unreached areas.
He dedicated several development projects, including Common Facility Centre at Ramkote constructed at a cost of ₹49.50 lakh, PMGSY road links from Kandharnu to Nand, Dhar Road to Bardhata was completed at a cost of ₹219.34 lakh and ₹ 142.52 lakh, respectively and the link road from Dhar Road was constructed at a cost of₹6.86 lakh under MGNREGA.