Anantnag: The Union Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs and Culture, Arjun Ram Meghwal Sunday said that in the last three years, the mantra of development and good governance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has reached new heights in Jammu and Kashmir which is evident at the ground level with the total implementation of all the Central government schemes.
The minister said this while interacting with the media during a press briefing at Dak Bungalow, Anantnag.
While addressing media here, Meghwal said that the “development and peace in J&K is touching new heights that is evident from this year’s record number of the arrival of tourists.”
The tourist destinations are to be explored and developed so as to attract tourists not only from the country but around the world, the minister added.
According to an official press release, the minister further said that Anantnag district has many tourist attractions like the Martand Sun Temple and other sites which can be developed to become the best tourist destinations creating job opportunities for the local residents.
Praising ‘Sufism’ as a religious practice promoting peace and harmony, the minister said that a national-level or international conference on Sufism is to be held in Jammu and Kashmir for promoting peace and harmony.
The minister also said that he has talked to Cement Corporation of India for the establishment of cement industry at Anantnag as he has been informed about the good presence of limestone reserves in the district.
The establishment of a cement industry in this district will create employment opportunities for the youth, he added.
Saying that the policies and programmes of the Central government led by PM Modi “have revolutionary aspects in terms of development and good governance”, the minister said that the development model of this government can be judged from its social welfare schemes like Ayushman Bharat (Sehat Card) that provides cashless medical care to low-income families which cannot afford treatment.
Earlier during the day, the minister also held a meeting with the chairpersons of BDCs and chairperson DDC and members, sarpanchs, presidents and members of various Municipal Councils of district Anantnag.
The elected representatives put their grievances before the minister regarding implementation of various centrally sponsored schemes in district Anantnag like PMAY (Urban), Marriage Assistance Scheme, Ladli Beti, MGNREGA etc. to which the minister assured putting them before the concerned departments for redressal.
Besides BDC chairpersons, sarpanchs, presidents and members of Municipal Councils, the meeting was attended by Deputy Commissioner Anantnag, Dr. Basharat Qayoom, ADDC Anantnag, Bashir Ahmad Wani, DDC Chairperson Anantnag, Mohammad Yousuf Gorsi, DDC vice-chairperson, Javid Ahmad Sheikh and chairman Municipal Council Anantnag, Hilal Ahmad Shah.
