Jammu: Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment, Ramdas Athawale Friday said that Article 370 and 35-A were obstacles in the development of J&K, and were revoked for the welfare of the people.
Interacting with the media during a press briefing here, he said that the central government is committed to develop Jammu and Kashmir on all fronts.
Saying that the budget is ‘AtmaNirbhar Bharat Ka Budget’, Athawale said, in comparison to the FY 2022-23, there is an increase of 10.18 percent for the social welfare department in the FY 2023-24.
In the next three years, 38,880 teachers and supporting staff will be recruited for 740 Eklavya Model Residential Schools, he added. Railways has also been allocated Rs. 2.4 lakh crores in the FY 2023-24, the minister informed.
According to a PIB release, Athawale also said that development, peace, and prosperity in Jammu and Kashmir is the top priority of the Prime Minister Modi-led government “which is evident now with the beginning of investment of thousands of crores in different sectors in Jammu and Kashmir for the welfare of the people”.
He said that for the last many years, “the gates of development have opened for J&K which is evident from the fact that all the centrally sponsored schemes and programmes like Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Jan Dhan Yojana, MUDRA, PM Ujjwala Yojana, scholarship schemes for students, welfare schemes for Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Other Backward Classes are now implemented in J&K.”
Athawale further said that hundred percent implementation of many central schemes in J&K is the outcome of the steadfast approach of the Government of India to provide social stability at all fronts, be it housing, livelihood, etc. to the people of J&K.
The minister informed that under PM Narendra Modi, implementation of the social welfare schemes has picked up pace in Jammu and Kashmir which is evident from the fact that under PM Jan Dhan Yojana, between 2014-2023 (March), 48 crores, 36 lakh accounts were opened out of which 26 lakh, 32 thousand accounts have been opened in J&K.
Under PM UjjwalaYojana between 2016-22 (March), 12 lakh 45 thousand gas connections have been allotted to the beneficiaries in J&K. Under PM AwasYojana (Urban) between 2015-23 (March), 20 thousand 7 hundred houses have been constructed in J&K, under PM AwasYojana (Rural) between 2014-23 (March), 13 thousand 8 hundred houses have been constructed in J&K, under PM Jan ArogyaYojana, 07 lakh 66 thousand have been benefited in J&K and under UjalaYojana, 84 lakh 86 thousand LED bulbs have been issued in J&K.
The minister informed that between 2019-23 (March), 1720 De-addiction centres have been either funded or established under Financial Assistance for the establishment of De-addiction centres.
