Srinagar- Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha said on Tuesday that he has dedicated every moment of his life to usher Jammu and Kashmir into a new era of peace and prosperity, and his administration is determined to take decisive and tough action against terrorism and strike the last nail in the coffin of terrorist-secessionist ecosystem
“Terrorism is one of the gravest threats to peace and progress. The ideology of terrorism and separatism is cancer for society and all its forms have to be completely eliminated. We need to identify the remaining elements and isolate them. We need to stop using double standards for terrorism. A terrorist has to be called a terrorist,” Sinha said in his Independence speech on Tuesday.
“Three years ago, on this day, I said to you that I have no promises to make, but I have promises to keep. I have dedicated every moment of my life to keep those promises and to usher Jammu and Kashmir into a new era of peace and prosperity,” he added.
Taking a dig at Pakistan, Sinha said this paradise on earth has been the land of all spiritual streams since times immemorial but the terrorism exported by our neighboring country had tried to destroy the tranquility and cultural richness of this soil of ‘Peer Vaer’.
“We have reignited love and brotherhood in this sacred soil of Adi Shankaracharya, Kalhana, Lalleshwari, Sheikh-ul-Alam, Syed Simnani, Mata Roop Bhavani and Sikh gurus and propagating the ageless ideals of humanism, communal harmony and peace,” he said.
Referring to the overwhelming participation of citizens in the G20 meeting, annual Amarnath Yatra and Muharram procession after three decades, the LG said that these events testify the beginning of a new era of peace and tranquility for the Union territory.
“With the timeless wisdom of saints, sufis and the spirit of brotherhood, harmony and mutual respect, we are rapidly marching forward to build Viksit Jammu and Kashmir. Today, we stand firm in our determination to build the Jammu and Kashmir of our dreams,” he said.
However, he added that we also need to remember that sacrifices were not limited to the freedom struggle in the past but we have to re-dedicate ourselves to serve the poorest of the poor and contribute to our nation’s progress.
He also urged the people to ponder upon several questions, including the sacrifices they have made in building Jammu and Kashmir of their dreams, what has been their contribution, and what have they done for the welfare of society?
“These questions will inspire each one of us to serve the nation with renewed passion and vigor,” Sinha said, adding “I call upon everyone in Jammu and Kashmir to realize their full potential and contribute in the resolution of ‘Viksit Bharat’ by 2047,”
He asked people to take resolve to work together to fulfill the vision and PanchPran of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He expressed optimism that the collective efforts will result in far greater prosperity for Jammu and Kashmir.
Terming year 2023 as a golden year for the Union territory, the LG said that the successful G20 meeting, which saw massive public participation, testifies that the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir have broken their shackles and they are raring to scale new heights.
“Notwithstanding the conspiracies and attempts of the neighboring countries to disturb the event, representatives from 27 countries participated in this historic summit – a loud and clear message to our adversaries. The international community, for the first time experienced peace, prosperity, stability and aspirations of the citizens of Jammu and Kashmir, and witnessed the all round progress of the Union Territory,” he said.
The G20 meeting, he said, not only strengthened diplomatic ties, but also opened new avenues for global partnership that will help in tapping the tourism potential of Jammu and Kashmir.
“I am proud to inform you that since the G20 event, there has been an increase of 59% in foreign tourist arrivals in Kashmir Valley, as compared to the previous year. Further, we have welcomed 1.27 crore tourists till July this year, another record in the history of the tourism sector,” he said.
He called the ongoing Amarnath Yatra as another milestone in the list of achievements.
This year’s yatra marks the longest pilgrimage of Baba Barfani in history. The message of peace and stability in Jammu and Kashmir has attracted devotees not only from various parts of the country but also from abroad, fulfilling the decades old wishes of local & foreign citizens,” Sinha said.
“Our Shia brothers were able to take out the procession on traditional routes to pay tribute to the sacrifices of Hazrat Imam Hussain (AS) on Muharram after 34 years,’ he added.
Speaking about the developmental activities undertaken by his administration, the LG said that J&K government has adopted pragmatic approach to promote sustainable and equitable development to build a vibrant society and have achieved remarkable progress on all parameters of development.
Better infrastructure, improved connectivity, rejuvenated tourism, new beginnings in the agriculture and allied sectors, emphasis on modern education, digital governance, energy security, health for all and preservation of heritage of handicrafts have been the hallmarks of our journey,” he said.
These achievements, he said, have led to inclusive and sustainable development and created a robust economy that offers equal opportunities, generates more income in rural areas, access to appropriate technology, access to institutional credit, created wealth for society and ensured effective and efficient public service delivery system.
The Union Territory, Sinha said, was witnessing fast economic development and rapid social change. He said GST collection during the financial year 2022-23 was Rs. 7300 crores, and SGST cash collection in the last quarter has shown a remarkable 35% increase.
Similarly, he said, stamp duty collection has registered a growth of 10.8% during the current financial year.
He also said that the new Jammu and Kashmir Excise Policy 2023-2024 has facilitated revenue collection of Rs. 767.89 crores, registering a whopping increase of 66.23%.
“Over the last three years, we have diligently infused new momentum in projects that were stalled for decades. Under the Prime Minister’s Development Program, 32 projects, out of the sanctioned 53, have been completed and out of the remaining 21 projects, 13 projects shall be completed during the current financial year,” the LG said.
He said that his administration is spending Rs. 519 crores per month on roads, buildings, macadamization and construction of rural bridges
“Today, infrastructure projects worth Rs. 1.5 lakh crores are under execution. The construction of 15 road projects under PMDP, 21 new tunnels, 39 new flyovers, 26 bypasses and 2 ring roads will prove to be the new foundation of modern and Aatm-Nirbhar Jammu and Kashmir,” he added.
Speaking about the investment scenario in J&K, the LG said that industrial investment of over Rs 27,000 crores has been approved so far, including record private investment of Rs 2153.45 crores in the last financial year.
J&K, he said, has received investment proposals worth over Rs 80,000 crores till July 31, 2023.
“The first Foreign Direct Investment proposal in the Union territory was approved earlier this year. Land has been allotted to Emaar Group for constructing a 1 million sq. ft. shopping mall in Srinagar and land for construction of two IT towers, one each in Srinagar and Jammu has also been allocated to the Emaar group,” he added.
Sinha also mentioned that J&K has been ranked second among Union territories in NITI Aayog’s Export Preparedness Ranking.
Talking about the anti-encroachment drive that was launched by his administration earlier this year, Sinha said that illegally occupied land has been retrieved from the influential people who had encroached upon these valuable resources.
“Regressive land laws have been abolished. Land owners have been empowered while strict action is being taken against land mafia. The land that has been freed from encroachers shall be used for the welfare of the poor and downtrodden. I have always emphasized that the poor and deprived has the first right on Government resources,’ he added.
Sinha also reiterated his government’s commitment to uplift the people from marginalized section of the society. To fulfill their dreams of owning a house, he said, the4 administration has decided to allot 5 marlas land to each landless eligible Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (G) beneficiary that will ensure the house is constructed under the scheme.
“Overall, 3.39 lakh houses have been sanctioned under PMAY(G) scheme and construction of 1.74 lakh houses has been completed. In the year 2023-24, sanction has been accorded to the construction of 1.99 lakh houses under the PMAY (G) scheme,” he said.
“I believe it is our sacred duty to empower the deprived sections of society and provide them with new opportunities so that their potential can be harnessed and channelized in the right direction for nation building,” he added.
In his speech, the LG also highlighted the pivotal role played by the three-tier Panchayati Raj system in the developmental journey of Jammu and Kashmir. He also listed the empowerment of women through different government schemes as the achievements of the UT administration.
“Around 6.5 lakh women associated with Self-Help-Groups in Jammu and Kashmir have transformed the rural economy, creating jobs and some have also shown the potential to scale-up their enterprises. 7000 village organizations and 503 cluster level federations have been constituted to bolster the women entrepreneurship,” he added.
The LG also spelled out a series of measures and interventions his administration has made to boost Agriculture, horticulture and allied sectors.
Sharing details of reforms brought in the health sector, Sinha said that around 4000 health facilities have been developed and five new medical colleges have been made functional.
In the field of medical education, he said, 500 MBBS seats have been increased to 1300, while 3000 health and wellness centers have also been set up.
“83 lakh golden cards have been issued. Under various healthcare programmes, Rs 2 crores per day is being spent on the healthcare of the people. In the category of universal health insurance coverage, Jammu and Kashmir has been adjudged the top performer among all UTs,” he said.
The LG said that the power sector has been transformed in J&K and Pakal Dul, Kiru, Rattle and Kwar Mega Hydro Projects are progressing at a breakneck speed, and are likely to be completed by 2025-26.
With the completion of these projects, he said, J&K will gain an additional power capacity of about 3400 MW that will significantly reduce our energy constraints.
“2345 MVA capacity has been added in the distribution sector to provide better power supply to the people. 8550 new distribution transformers have also been installed in a record time of four months,” Sinha said.
“The implementation of Smart Metering is a significant step towards reducing losses, better demand management and achieving 24×7 power supply for all,” he added.
The LG also mentioned about the welfare of tribals, digital governance initiatives, and measures of the UT administration to boost tourism by bringing virgin tourist spots on the map, in his speech.
He also reiterated his administration’s commitment to ensure justice to Pandit community members whose land and houses were illegally occupied and to those who had to sell their land under duress.
“The process of construction of houses for Kashmiri Pandit Government employees has been expedited and we are committed to execute all the projects within the time-frame. The issues of Kashmiri Pandit community, Pakistan Occupied Kashmir and West Pakistan refugee families are being resolved through the Special Governance Camps, for which, programmes were organized in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Ahmedabad, Pune, Haridwar, Chandigarh and Pathankot,” he said.
Making a passionate appeal to the people, the LG said that we need to think about the kind of world we want to leave for our youth. He called upon every section of society to create new opportunities for youth, in which every department will play an active role.
“Let us build a Jammu and Kashmir which has only one religion – India; let us build a Jammu and Kashmir which has only one caste – Humanity; let us build a Jammu and Kashmir which has one goal – Unity and Integrity of the country; let us build a Jammu and Kashmir, where different languages sing one tune –Vijay Vishwa Tiranga Pyaara. Let us together build a glorious future of Jammu and Kashmir,” Sinha said while concluding his speech.
Follow this link to join our WhatsApp group: Join Now
Be Part of Quality Journalism |
Quality journalism takes a lot of time, money and hard work to produce and despite all the hardships we still do it. Our reporters and editors are working overtime in Kashmir and beyond to cover what you care about, break big stories, and expose injustices that can change lives. Today more people are reading Kashmir Observer than ever, but only a handful are paying while advertising revenues are falling fast. |
| ACT NOW |
| MONTHLY | Rs 100 |  |
| YEARLY | Rs 1000 | |
| LIFETIME | Rs 10000 | |
