Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed the rise of a new era in the last four years which promises harmony, development and affluence, Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, the Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor said on Tuesday.
Bhatnagar, who hoisted the tricolour at the main Independence Day function here, said Jammu and Kashmir has undertaken a journey towards peace, progress, and prosperity in the last four years.
“Notable advancements have been made in establishing new enterprises and the agricultural sector. Villages are progressing, and essential infrastructure is being reinforced,” he said while talking about the need of strengthening democracy at the grassroots level in the union territory.
Outlining the development initiatives in Jammu and Kashmir, he highlighted the implementation of projects worth Rs 7,000 crore in the healthcare sector.
He noted that the AIIMS in Jammu is set to be completed this year, while the AIIMS in Kashmir will reach completion by 2025. Additionally, seven medical colleges and 15 nursing institutes are already operational. He added that special emphasis is being placed on Mother and Child Health, with apparent phenomenal results in reducing Infant Mortality Rate.
He further said that in the field of Medical Education, in the past few years, the number of seats for various courses like DNB, MBBS, BDS, Nursing, and Paramedics has been increased to more than 2100 seats besides 600 MBBS seats have also been increased.
He underscored that Jammu and Kashmir is rapidly moving towards comprehensive development in all sectors of life, particularly during the ‘Amrit Kaal’ period.
Bhatnagar also emphasised that the region is evolving into a realm free from fear and corruption.
The fact that the G20 summit is being hosted in the union territory serves as a testament to the emergence of the new Jammu and Kashmir, he said.
Advisor Bhatnagar remarked that J&K has progressed immensely in the recent years and graduated from ‘performers’ to ‘fore-runners’ category in Sustainable Development Goals Index of India,
The Advisor remarked that in significant strides towards infrastructural development, the Public Works Department has completed around 7,826 projects under various schemes including PMGSY, NABARD, and CIRF from April 2020 to March 2023. He added that a staggering 17,247 kilometers of roads have been upgraded and blacktopped in the same period.
He said that 15 PMDP road projects are underway at a cost of Rs 29,369.76 crore, many of which are expected to be completed by the end of this year. He further said that the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway is progressing well, with over 90% of the work completed. He said that PMGSY has connected 2,097 of 2,141 villages in the past few years and the remaining 44 will be connected by March 2024.
Advisor Bhatnagar remarked that at the grassroots level, efforts have been made to strengthen democracy through the empowerment of DDCs and BDCs. In Jammu and Kashmir, alongside free, impartial, and transparent elections, the fund, function, and functionaries have been fortified, the Advisor highlighted.
Under the Pradhan MantriAwasYojana-Gramin (PMAY-G), over 3.39 lakh cases have been sanctioned, out of which approximately 1.36 lakh houses have been completed, the Advisor said.
He underscored that through the Jammu and Kashmir Youth Mission, schemes like Mumkin, Tejaswini, Rise Together, and Parvaz provide opportunities for young boys and girls to become entrepreneurs.
The Advisor said that tourism is one of the key sectors in our Union Territory, and in recent years, there has been a significant increase in the number of tourists visiting Jammu and Kashmir. He added that in the year 2022, a record 1.88 crore tourists arrived and in the first six months of this year alone, around 1.10 crore tourists have already visited J&K.
He said that there has been a growth of more than 350 percent in the number of foreign tourists besides special emphasis is being placed on Border Tourism in the Union Territory.
The Advisor, on the occasion also introduced the dakshkisan.jk.gov.in portal, a platform that aims to empower farmers by providing them with crucial resources and support in the next five years.
Advisor Bhatnagar in his address also spoke in length about good governance initiatives like the introduction of the Jammu Kashmir Single Window Portal (JKSWP), digitization of the Jammu Kashmir Public Service Guarantee, National E-Governance Delivery Assessment Report (NESDA), E-Office implementation as well as the Rapid Assessment System (RAS).
The Advisor in the end highlighted that through digital means, with an impassioned commitment, corruption will be eradicated.
During the celebration, the audience was captivated by a series of mesmerizing cultural performances. The event featured artists from the J&K Cultural Academy, students, and participants from the Jal Jeevan Mission and Rural Development Department, all of whom presented stunning patriotic-themed items.
On the occasion, Advisor Bhatnagar also distributed prizes among the winners of various online contests conducted by the Department of Information & Public Relations (DIPR).
Earlier the Advisor also inspected the parade and took a salute of the marching contingents of the Border Security Force (BSF), Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), Indian Reserve Police (IRP), Jammu district police, Jammu and Kashmir Armed Police (JKAP), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Fire and Emergency Services, Forest Protection Force and Police and BSF Brass Bands marched past the chief guest. School students from various schools also marched past and presented patriotic and cultural performances.
Judges of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh High Court, Mayor, Jammu Municipal Corporation, DDC Chairman Jammu, Member of Parliament Lok Sabha, Member of Parliament Rajya Sabha, State Election Commissioner, Deputy Mayor, JMC, Administrative Secretaries of various Departments; ADGP Jammu, Divisional Commissioner Jammu, Deputy Commissioner Jammu, HoDs; PRI members, eminent citizens, locals and large number of students were also present on the occasion.
