Ramban: Accusing the previous governments of deliberately neglecting the hill regions, Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh today said Prime Minister Narendra Modi gives special focus to these areas.
Addressing a public rally here after ceremonially walking through the newly constructed Jhula Bailey suspension bridge, which has replaced the earlier one that was declared unsafe, Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology and Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, said several decades old bridge was unsafe and accident-prone but still none of the governments in the past bothered about it and allowed the national highway traffic to ply over it at grave risk to the general public.
According to an official press release, he hoped one day analysts will try to find out “why people here had to wait for nearly 70 years for PM Modi to arrive and give them justice.”
Earlier, Dr Jitendra Singh walked through the main markets of town and acknowledged the gratitude of the people who have heaved a sigh of relief on the construction of the bridge.
Speaking at the rally, Dr Jitendra Singh informed that the important Maitra bridge and the flyover to bypass the town are under-construction day and night in double shifts. After their completion, and also the completion of the remaining stretch of national highway beyond Ramban, the road travel journey time from Jammu to Srinagar will be reduced to just about four hours.
Singh recalled that once there was a time when there was just one Government High School in Ramban. Today, he said, there are more than a dozen degree colleges and higher secondary schools in the district and said that this has happened only in the last eight years. Not only this, he said, degree colleges have been set up in remote areas like Kastigarh and Ukhral.
“We have followed the policy of reaching out to the people who need us and bringing up the projects as per their requirements, irrespective of religion, cast, creed or party preference and hoped that this political culture above vote consideration would also be followed by others for the benefits of the youth whose energy is going to contribute for nation building for the next 25 years of Amrit Kaal,” Singh said.
Emphasizing on giving a boost to ‘Start-Up movement’, he said soon there will be a comprehensive plan about agriculture related entrepreneurship for which this place has huge resources and which will be a lucrative source of livelihood for the youth.
“The resources of river Chenab have never before been fully exploited and now galaxy of multiple power projects coming up in the erstwhile Doda district. This region is going to be the power hub of north India and will also provide electricity to other states,” he said.
He also recalled other “monumental work done during the last eight years” like construction of a Relay Radio Station at Nadha Top which caters to the whole of the district.
