New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir seeks a partnership to transform its resilience, resources and human potential into a stronger contribution to national growth and development, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Thursday as he urged the Centre to extend ‘Pride of Hills’ package to the Union Territory. Abdullah was speaking at the 11th Governing Council meeting of NITI Aayog, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The meeting was convened on the theme ‘Inclusive Human Development for Viksit Bharat @2047’.
Under the Centre’s Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment or SASCI, ‘Pride of Hills’ initiative provides financial assistance to hill states for infrastructure development. “J&K seeks partnership and convergence to transform its resilience, resources and human potential into a stronger contribution to national growth and development,” Abdullah said. Presenting the development scenario of J&K, the chief minister said the social indicators continue to be strong, with improvements in healthcare, education, and social protection.
Abdullah, however, emphasized that development financing frameworks must adequately account for geographical disadvantages. He called for extension of the SASCI ‘Pride of Hills’ Special Development Assistance to J&K on the same principles applicable to other hill states. The chief minister pointed out that the people of J&K had overwhelmingly chosen peace, democracy and progress, creating a strong foundation for sustained development.
He highlighted significant advances in higher education, healthcare and skill development, including the operationalization of IIT Jammu, IIM Jammu and AIIMS Jammu, the expansion of medical colleges from three to ten, and the training of more than 90,000 youth under the Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana. Referring to the growing diversification of J&K’s economy, Abdullah cited record arrival of 2.36 crore tourists in 2024, the impact of the Rs 5,000-crore Holistic Agriculture Development Programme benefiting over 6.5 lakh farmers, and the contribution of nearly 8.5 lakh MSMEs to local employment and economic activity.
The chief minister also highlighted Mission YUVA as a transformative initiative to promote entrepreneurship and employment. He noted that the programme has mapped entrepreneurial potential across 24 lakh households, identified over 5.5 lakh prospective entrepreneurs and contributed to a sharp rise in the number of registered startups.
He outlined J&K’s development journey and presented a set of priority proposals aimed at strengthening human development, economic growth and infrastructure. The true measure of development lies in expanding opportunities and improving the quality of life for every citizen, he added.
On infrastructure and energy, the chief minister said J&K has vast hydropower potential of 14,867 MW and underscored the importance of strengthening the J&K-Centre Joint Venture model beyond 2028 to fully harness the resources of the Chenab and Jhelum river basins. He also described the Udhampur-Srinagar railway line as a critical all-weather connectivity corridor and a vital lifeline for the region’s apple economy.
Abdullah sought approval of 10 new tourism circuits under a proposed Rs 5,500-crore tourism development plan; institutional partnerships for the promotion of medicinal and aromatic plants, apples and wool; augmentation of railway services ahead of the apple season; and establishment of government medical colleges in the eight districts that currently lack such facilities.
