Srinagar- Hardeep Singh Puri, Union Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs and Petroleum and Natural Gas, emphasized the crucial role of Kashmir in India’s development at the ‘Viksit Bharat Ambassador meetup’ held in Srinagar on Saturday.
Addressing the audience, Minister Puri stated, “Bharat cannot be ‘Viksit’ without ‘Viksit Kashmir’, Prime Minister said that it is his dream that India should be or will be a ‘Viksit Desh’ or a ‘developed nation’ by 2047.”
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has articulated his vision for India to become a developed nation by 2047, and Minister Puri underscored the collective effort required to achieve this goal.
“India will become a developed nation in 2047 or even earlier, but in that, several people have to play a role,” Minister Puri said.
“The Prime Minister sets the coordinates as the prime agent of change, but he has to be supported by others who believe in that vision.”
Highlighting the current economic status, Minister Puri noted, “Right now, we are at USD 4 trillion. By 2040, our economy will be USD 40 trillion.”
He envisioned that when India achieves a USD 40 trillion economy, it will not just be a ‘Sone ki Chidiya’ (golden bird) but the ‘envy of the world’.
During his address, Minister Puri referenced India’s historical economic significance, citing historian Angus Maddison of Cambridge University, who documented India’s contribution to the global economy in the year 1700.
Puri emphasised, “During the year 1700, India that is ‘Bharat’ was referred to as ‘Sone ki Chidiya’. According to historian Angus Maddison of Cambridge University, who has extensively documented economic history, it is conclusively shown that India’s contribution to the global economy in the year 1700, until the Battle of Plassey, was roughly 25 percent or more of the global GDP.”
“In 2014, people used to say that India is one of the fragile five economies. Since 2014, we have reached the 5th position,” Minister Puri remarked.
Minister Puri said, “Within the next 5 years, India will be amongst the top 3 economies in the world.”
The Viksit Bharat Ambassador meetup served as a platform for discussing India’s economic progress and the integral role of Kashmir in contributing to the nation’s development agenda.
The event witnessed a gathering of influential figures, including startup leaders, women influencers, and distinguished personalities from Kashmir.
‘Talks On Within Party’
Best of the people are discussing this and whatever is being evaded, will be taken care of soon, Puri said on BJP not yet declaring candidates on the three Lok Sabha seats in Kashmir valley.
Puri said the 2024 general elections would produce a victory in favour of development so that the country moves forward to another significant chapter in the realisation of a ‘Viksit Bharat’.
Asked about the BJP’s expectations from the 2024 Lok Sabha polls, the minister said, “The country is in election mode. The BJP’s expectation from the country is that the 2024 elections will produce a convincing victory for development, for ‘vikas’, so that we move to another significant chapter in the realisation of a Viksit Bharat.” Asked why the BJP did not field any candidates on the three seats in the Kashmir valley — Anantnag-Rajouri, Srinagar, and Baramulla, the Union minister said, “Best of the people are discussing this and I assure you that whatever is being evaded, will be taken care of soon,” he said, adding that the party “has not left any ground”.
He said change does not take place overnight.
“See the change and improvement in the situation (in Kashmir). Whatever shortcomings are there in the other political processes, they will also be fulfilled,” Puri said.
Wherever there have been troubled conditions for an extended period of time and you opened up the process, you do not expect change overnight,” he said.
“But I am very happy, I have been watching this situation for the last several years. I can assure you that change for the better is taking place in J&K and it will take place at an even faster rate very soon,” he added.
Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief Ravinder Raina said the party is finalising its strategy under the leadership of national president J P Nadda on the three seats of Anantnag-Rajouri, Srinagar and Baramulla on providing support to the contesting candidates as he requested people to reject Congress, National Conference and PDP for the larger interest of peace, development and prosperity of the region.
The BJP has not yet expressed intent on announcing candidates for the Srinagar and Baramulla seats, while the last date for filing nominations for Anantnag-Rajouri was April 19. To a question about developmental projects in J-K, Puri said development is an ongoing process.
“The BJP manifesto has a plan for the first 100 days,” he said and asked to wait for the election results, after which all the schemes on infrastructure development, connectivity, and urban development will continue and more projects will be come up in these sectors.
Asked about the questions raised against the Centre by National Conference and other opposition parties in J-K, the Union minister said,”The BJP and the BJP alone and the Prime Minister have done something like (abrogation of Article) 370 and brought this normalcy. Please bear with us a little more, political processes bottom up are growing and very soon you will see it at the same level as the rest of the country,” Puri added.
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