Jammu,15-06-2023 : Chief Spokesperson BJP Mahila Morcha J&K UT Ritika Trehan today claimed that development of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, is one of top priorities of our government. Whether it is women empowerment, opportunities for youth, welfare of dalits, downtrodden, oppressed and deprived or about statutory and basic rights of the people, our government is taking decisions for the betterment of J&K people.
Addressing media persons in Jammu, Ritika said that historic decision of the government of India to reorganize the state has rejuvenated the region’s unique elements of “insaniyat” (humanity), “jamhooriyat” (democracy) and “Kashmiriyat” (the identity of the people of Kashmir). One of the most important results of this historic decision is the wider percolation of democratic values in the region. This is evident from the fact that District Development Council elections in the Union Territory (UT) — in which more than 3 million people voted, including marginalized groups such as Valmikis, refugees and scheduled tribes — established a fully functional three-tier local self-government structure in the territory. This paved the way for “Gram Swaraj” (self-rule in villages) in the region, a vision of Mahatma Gandhi that gives more power to the people, from planning to implementing developmental initiatives.
Subsequent to the reorganization, 106 people-friendly central laws and nine constitutional amendments are now applicable in the region, including the Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act, the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act, the Forest Rights Act, and the National Commission for Minorities Act. The reorganization has also given women equal property rights and reservation to minorities in education and employment, which has enabled their socioeconomic upliftment on a par with the other states/UTs of India, added Ritika.
Ritika further said that for the economic development of the region, the government has taken several steps to boost agriculture, infrastructure and the industrial sector. Innovative programs like e-markets for apple trade and a market intervention scheme to ensure direct payment to cultivators have increased incomes for the apple farmers of Jammu and Kashmir. Furthermore, there has been a paradigm shift in cultivation, harvesting and marketing to increase the production and sale of other popular farm products from the region, including saffron, tulips and mushrooms. On similar lines, the recent geographical indication tagging of the globally renowned Kashmiri saffron will boost its exports and secure its unique identity. The government has also given much-needed impetus to the agriculture, horticulture, sericulture and handicrafts industries, paving the way for development in rural Jammu and Kashmir, added Ritika.
Ritika said that On the infrastructure front, the arch of the world’s tallest railway bridge — over the Chenab River as part of the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link project — was completed in Jammu and Kashmir in April. The bridge, built at a height of 359 meters, is taller than the Eiffel Tower. It will connect the Kashmir Valley with the plains and hence ease the movement of people and freight, enabling economic development. Projects such as the Jammu-Srinagar-Ladakh highway will make all-weather travel possible in the region. The previously ignored sectors of health and education have also benefited from the policies of the Indian government, which have improved their quality and made them more accessible and affordable. For the comprehensive development of future generations in the region, 50 new educational institutions offering 25,000 seats have been established in the past two years, which is the largest such expansion in Jammu and Kashmir in the last seven decades. The fundamental right to education, which is now applicable to Jammu and Kashmir, has ensured access to education for all students in the region.
As a result of the farsightedness of Narendra Modi Government, the path of peace and development, on which Jammu & Kashmir is moving forward, has paved the way for new industries here. Today, Jammu & Kashmir is contributing to the Atma Nirbhar Bharat campaign, Ritika said. During 2021-22, Rs. 34,704.46 crore allocated to Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir as Grants-in-aid and Rs. 5958 crore has been allocated to UT of Ladakh. Similarly, during, 2022-23, Rs. 35,581.44 crore has been allocated to Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir as Grants-in-aid and Rs. 5958 crore has been allocated to UT of Ladakh.The Government has initiated largest ever recruitment drive in a transparent manner for which an Accelerated Recruitment Committee (ARC) was constituted for identifying Gazetted, Non-Gazetted & Class-IV posts in the UT of J&K. Since 2019, a total of 29,813 persons have been recruited. In addition, 5523 vacancies have been referred to Recruiting Agencies, added Ritika.