Modi’s development initiatives taken in Jammu and Kashmir have created an emotional bond between the people and the country says Union Minister.
Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Hardeep Singh Puri on Monday said that the Prime Minister’s dedication to the development of Jammu and Kashmir had created an emotional bond between the people and the country.
Puri said people are investing in the economic development in Jammu and Kashmir because of the Central Government’s decision to remove the bottleneck of Articles 370 and 35A. He said that a new dawn of development is now set in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370 which could be judged from the fact that 25 recent National Highway Projects have been sanctioned to be built at an estimated cost of 11,721 crores, 168 MoUs have been signed amounting to 13,600 crores, seven new medical colleges have been sanctioned with medical seats increasing from 500 to 955, world’s highest railway bridge constructed in J&K, Vande Bharat Express is in operation from Jammu to Delhi and tourist footfall increased to more than one lakh.
He said his efforts are turning into reality with works being undertaken in full swing. He stated that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s development initiatives taken in Jammu and Kashmir “Central schemes directly benefit the people and I am glad that work is going on at the ground level,” the minister told media persons in Srinagar on Monday.
Puri said that under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, some 12 lakh LPG connections have been provided under PM Ujjwala, and 50,000 houses have been sanctioned under PMAY (U).
The Minister said that petroleum prices have seen a sharp rise from July 2021 to August 2022 with a 43 percent to 46 percent increase in USA and Canada while India is the only country in the world where only a 2 percent increase has been seen during that period. “When many countries in the world are witnessing the shortage of fuel and exorbitant price rise, there is no shortage of fuel in India even in the remotest corners of the country”, he added.
Unemployment Still High and Tourism Trying to Peek Up
However, unemployment rates touched 25% in March, according to one survey. Now, since outsiders are eligible for jobs in Jammy and Kashmir, the prospects of getting jobs have declined further. It is reported that after 3 years of Abrogation of Article 370, unemployment surged in Kashmir, and even the educated youth are staggering without jobs at 46.3%
The government is desperately trying to peek up tourism in Kashmir and 2022: Year of hope for tourism in Kashmir. Kashmir tourism has now found unique brand Ambassadors in the persons of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah. They started tweeting, “Whenever you get the opportunity, do visit Jammu and Kashmir [J&K] and witness the scenic Tulip festival. In addition to the Tulips, you will experience the warm hospitality of the people of J&K,” Prime Minister Modi highlighted the uniqueness of both the place and its people. Amit Shah’s post-J&K visit tweet also mirrored the same sentiments.
