Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha lauded the progress and transformation in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“J&K UT has witnessed significant shift towards peace and tranquillity in the region, with incidents like stone pelting and hartals becoming a thing of the past,” the LG said.
Addressing the gathering during the inaugural function of4th Annual Conference of the Indian Economics and Allied Sciences Association at University of Kashmir, the LG said the ecosystem of terror sponsored by our neighbour has been almost dismantled.
“Schools and colleges remain open allowing youth to focus on career building. Stone pelting and hartal are talks of the past now,” he said.
LG Sinha said earlier Kashmir used to be closed for 100-150 days in a year in the directions of terror outfits of neighbouring country. “Those things have become history now,” he said.
LG Sinha said that people of Jammu and Kashmir are no longer living their lives according to dictations but are now enjoying a life of dignity and respect. This transformation represents one of the most significant changes the region has witnessed over the past several years.
“It’s a land of peace and prosperity that responsible and responsive administration is trying too hard to bring in the lives of the people. It is governed by the Constitution of India, which has established rule of law and supremacy of the people,” he said.
“During period of COVID, J&K was witnessing positive economic growth as compared to other states of the country,” he said adding that GST collections is much better than national average.
LG Sinha also highlighted UT Administration’s efforts to bolster air and road connectivity, in alignment with the growing aspirations of the people. The introduction of these reforms seeks to facilitate easier travel and foster overall development in the region, he said
“Kashmir will not only get connected with railways to Kanyakumari but also with highways. Under the dynamic leadership of PM Modi, 1.50 lakh crore highway projects are underway in different parts of Jammu and Kashmir.
Earlier it would take 10-12 hours to reach Jammu from Srinagar now the same journey is taken in 5-7 hours, from Karta to New Delhi, new express highway is being constructed and it will take only 5 hours now,” he said.
Regarding air connectivity, LG Sinha said in 2020, only 36 flights were operating at Srinagar International Airport, today 126 flights are operating. Similarly, 12 flights were operating at Jammu airport, now 44 are operating. We have revolutionized connectivity in the region, he said.
“The railway network will be connected with rest of country in March 2024,” he said.
“From the past four years, with the help of the central government, we have focused on youth employment programmes and more than 6 lakh rural women have been associated with self-help groups. They are contributing their role in the development Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
LG Sinha said through a holistic development plan laid the foundations for a sea change in economic growth of the Union territory. He also asserted that this decade of the agriculture and horticulture sector belongs to Jammu and Kashmir.
“Under this scheme apart from the budget, the administration will provide 513 cr in next five years in these twin sectors. With this it will also increase the GDP of J&K as more than 70 per cent of the population is associated with horticulture and agriculture,” he said.
The Lt. Governor said the pace of developmental works at present has never been witnessed in past even as he called upon the people to isolate the forces who want to take the nation back.
“Within very short duration of time, a complete transparency and honesty has been witnessed in the works which was not seen in the past. More projects are being completed within short time,” he said.
LG Sinha said the UT has achieved a significant milestone and remarkable feat in e-governance by providing over 1028 services in online mode for citizens, institutions, and business establishments.
Under the Digital J & K programme launched in mission mode last year, the number of online services has increased exponentially from 35 services in 2019 to 1028 services as on date.
“The remarkable digital journey of J&K and the resultant transformation from a laggard status in e-governance to a leading position in such a short span of time is unprecedented,” he said.
LG Sinha said this has brought about a paradigm shift resulting in increased transparency, accountability and efficiency at all levels. There has been a palpable reduction in corruption and increase in citizen satisfaction which is being regularly monitored through a citizen feedback mechanism, he added.
“The government is also focused on implementing NEP2020 on the ground. We have adopted various initiatives including ‘Design the Degree program’ Knowledge on Wheels. They were appreciated by UGC.
He said Union Territory (UT) was set to break the record for tourist footfall this year.
“Around 1.70 crore tourists have visited J&K so far this year till September. The figure is much higher than last year. We hope to see record breaking tourist arrivals by the year end,” he said.
LG Sinha also said Kashmir division is witnessing ‘Yellow revolution’ with oilseed crops registering a significant growth.
“Our collective effort is to create a more progressive, growth-oriented and aspirational society and lay a strong foundation for the journey of the next 25 years,” he said.
Prof Sudhakar Panda, President Indian Economics & Allied Sciences Association (IEASA) and Dr Alok Kumar Secretary IEASA also spoke on the occasion and highlighted the key features of the annual conference.
The Lt Governor also released the Conference Souvenir on the occasion.
Prof Nilofer Khan, Vice Chancellor, University of Kashmir; Prof Pulin B Nayak, President Conference IEASA; Prof Dhananjay Singh, Member Secretary ICSSR; Prof G M Bhat, Chief Coordinator of Conference; Educationists, Economists, Experts, HoDs, Scholars, Researchers and Students were present.
