The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region, MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh today said that Jammu and Kashmir’s transformation will be exemplary in the coming days. As a part of Central Government’s special public outreach programme to disseminate information about the implementation of its policies and programmes for the overall development of Jammu and Kashmir and its people, Dr. Singh said that the Central Govt. schemes should reach its actual beneficiaries who have been deprived of it in the past. He further said that this is the first time in history that a whole Cabinet is meeting common people so as to listen to their grievances on ground, receiving their feedback for an assured timely solution. He also complemented the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi for giving a new direction and look to the UTs of J&K and Ladakh and wants the development to reach the last man in the last queue.
Addressing Corporators, Sarpanchs and Panchs at Convention Centre Jammu in presence of local Members of Parliament, Sh. Shamsher Singh Manhas and Sh. Jugal Kishore Sharma, Dr. Singh said that 73rd and 74th Amendment acts are now applicable to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir that will make Sarpanchs and Panchs a part of the decision making authority to which they have been deprived of from the last seventy two years. Talking about Block Development Council elections, Dr. Singh said that Modi govt. wants grass root level participation to become an integral part of democracy which can then empower people socially, economically and politically.
Dr. Singh also said that all the pending projects like Shahpur Kandi Project, Uj River Water Project, Ratle Project, Pakaldul Project, Kiru Project and Devika Project which were stuck up for the last many decades have now been cleared by the government which is now people-centric and wants development to come to the doorsteps of the people of J&K.Dr. Singh also announced to establish three media centers at Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh for the benefit of the media persons where all facilities will be provided to them on the lines of National Media Center.
Dr. Singh also counted the development activities that have been undertaken recently which included abolition of Lakhanpur Toll Tax, increased allowances to state govt. employees, Central Govt. Health Scheme implementation, education loans provided to children, New Industrial Policy, LTC for state govt. employees etc. Dr Singh also said that all the central laws are now applicable to the UT of J&K like the Child Marriage Act, Dowry Act, Right to Education Act, prevention of corruption act etc. The government is determined to remove the social, economic and political imbalances from the UT of J&K, he added.
With respect to the implementation of the GoI schemes, Dr. Singh said that the UT of J&K has done wonderful in Ayushman Bharat Scheme, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY), Ujwala Yojana etc. Giving statistics about the implementation of these schemes, Dr. Singh said that the UT of J&K stood first in the implementation of Ayushman Bharat Scheme, 18534 houses have been constructed under PMAY, 2.5 lac toilets were constructed under Swach Bharat and Ujwala has reached to its hundred percent target in Jammu and Kashmir.
Earlier, during his visit, the Minister laid foundation stone of a sports stadium to be constructed at an estimated cost of approximately 1.53 crore rupees at Gole Gujral area of Mud Block in Jammu. He also inaugurated a smart class room project at Government Higher Secondary School Gole Gujral Jammu, established at an approximate cost of 16 lac rupees.
As a part of this outreach programme, spanning over a week, 38 Union Ministers will undertake an extensive tour of different districts across 60 different locations in both the divisions of Jammu and Kashmir. The objective of the visit is to disseminate the information about the importance of the government policies with regard to the overall development of J&K and its people along with steps taken in this direction in the last five months. The outreach programme will cover five themes viz rapid development after President’s rule from June 2018 and after Reorganization in August 2019, hundred percent coverage of 55 beneficiary oriented schemes to all the residents of J&K, rapid infrastructural development including implementation of PMDP, flagship schemes and iconic projects, good governance and rule of law with equality of opportunity to all in rapid industrial and economic growth in all sectors with a focus on incomes and employment.