Riding on development wave, 9 union ministers reach out to public in Jammu

3 more ministers to arrive on day 3 of Centre’s massive outreach

JAMMU: After a lukewarm start comparatively to week-long massive awareness program of the Centre to apprise people of the potential benefits of the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status after nullification of Article 370, as many as 9 union ministers reached out to public in different places across the Jammu region on Sunday.

While Arjun Meghwal, Ashwini Choubey and Jitendra Singh had reached Jammu on the first day, a second batch of six more ministers arrived here, and together they met people and officials, taking over the limelight.

These ministers included Smriti Irani, Mahendranath Pandey, G. Muralidharan, Anurag Thakur, Piyush Goyal, and R K Singh.

Minister for Railways and Commerce Piyush Goyal who visited Akhnoor described Jammu and Kashmir as a "jewel" of the country, and said the Centre would come out with an industrial package for the Union Territory soon and expressed hope that it would attract large amounts of investment to the valley.

Announcing that Kashmir would be linked with the rest of the country by train by December next year, he asserted that development work has gathered pace in Jammu and Kashmir, especially after June 18, 2018 when the erstwhile state came under Governor's rule.

Goyal inaugurated a flood protection project, an indoor stadium and various roads completed under Prime Minister's Grameen Sadak Yojna, besides addressing a public gathering in Akhnoor on the outskirts of Jammu.

Union Minister for Textiles and Women & Child Development, Smriti Irani conducted public meetings at village Moori of Dheeti Panchayat in Reasi and at Spritual Growth Centre at Katra.

She said that a textile unit would be set up in Jammu and Kashmir's Reasi district while asserting that a "new wave of development has just begun" in the Union territory. Irani said that over 140 district and sub-district level hospital projects have been identified for up-gradation in Jammu and Kashmir in addition to the two upcoming AIIMS with a Rs 2,000 crore corpus.

Union Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs Anurag Singh Thakur urged the people of the Union Territory to leave their past and contribute their efforts towards making a "new India".

Thakur who inaugurated various developmental projects at Nagrota, said the Block Development Council elections in the union territory was a historical step that made the local self-government a part of the decision-making authority of which "they have been deprived of for the last 72 years".

About the sports talent in Jammu and Kashmir, he said sports infrastructure would be upgraded to tap into the huge potential among the youngsters.

The minister of state in the Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh announced a new industrial estate for Udhampur district to attract investors and also announced a new bus stand in the district.

"About 1,000 acres land has been identified in Udhampur for the new industrial estate. This will in turn generate employment opportunities for the local youth," he said, adding the decision was a timely one because the Global Investors Summit was being planned in Jammu and Srinagar in April.

The minister also reviewed the progress of the Rs 190-crore Devika River Rejuvenation and Beautification Project which was sanctioned in 2017, but took off only after the Lt Governor took over.

Union Minister of State for Power, New & Renewable Energy, Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Raj Kumar Singh in Doda reiterated the commitment of the central government to ensure equitable and fast-track development projects in Jammu and Kashmir.

He laid foundation stone of various mega projects of power department including construction of 2×50 MVA, 220/33KV Grid station Nagrota, construction of 6.3MVA,33/11KV, Receiving station at Shazadpur Jammu under IPDS, construction of 2×10 MVA,33KV, Receiving station at Narandi Jammu under PMDP-U.

The Union Minister also e-inaugurated water sports centre at Pul Doda, up-gradation of electrical infrastructure of 12 Shrines in Jammu region, and augmented transformation capacity from 50MVA -100MVA at 132/33KV Grid station Pounichak in district Jammu.

The Union Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare Ashwini Kumar Choubey reiterated that the Centre was working hard to bring development in Jammu and Kashmir and said it was not possible to attract industries to the valley unless Article 370 was scrapped.

"Unless Articles 370 and 35A were abrogated, it was not possible to bring industries to valley," Choubey told a function in Ghagwal in Samba after visiting the site identified for the establishment of AIIMS at Vijaypur.

He said that the civil works on the AIIMS project would commence in the month of February 2020.

Union Minister of State for External Affairs & Parliamentary Affairs, V. Muraleedharan e-inaugurated Rural Haat and various road projects under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) at Billawar in Kathua.

The Union Minister also participated in a programme at Billawar Degree College here where he highlighted the benefits of recent constitutional changes made by the centre and also distributed sanction orders of State Marriage Assistance Scheme among female beneficiaries and inaugurated Multipurpose Hall at the Degree College.

Stating that Jammu and Kashmir will usher in a new era of development, Union Minister for Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation & Parliamentary Affairs, Arjun Ram Meghwal said that central government is committed to ensure all-round progress of J&K while addressing a public outreach programme at Basholi area of Kathua District.

Union Minister for Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Dr Mahendra Nath Pandey went to various panchayats of Block Dansal in Reasi.

Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said this initiative has been launched to bridge the gap between public and government, and to ascertain the needs of the public so as to better fulfill them.

The ministers are travelling to J&K in batches and meeting government officials. They are holding public contact programmes to apprise the people about different schemes of the central government.

A total of 38 Union ministers will visit different parts of the Union territory to interact with people till January 24.

“As part of the programme, the 38 ministers are visiting J&K this week to participate in 60 public interactions at various places in the Union territory," Principal Secretary to the J&K government Rohit Kansal said.

He said the administration has decided to ensure 100 percent coverage for the eligible J&K residents to 55 beneficiaries oriented schemes in the Union territory.

"In addition, the focus will be on rapid infrastructure development, the implementation of the Prime Ministers Development Package (PMDP), flagship schemes, iconic projects, good governance, rule of law, equal opportunities to all, rapid industrial growth with employment and rapid economic growth in all sectors of the economy with a special focus on income enhancement for all," he said.