Jammu and Kashmir is already witnessing a change as the Central Government has come up with a series of developmental projects to fight joblessness and revive the economy. The rights of the people, long subjected to discrimination, have been restored. Normalcy will restore confidence of the people in the administration
Slew of developmental measures promise to give the Valley a new look
- The work of delimitation of Assembly seats is currently going on in Kashmir. Ninety seats will be re-delimited. In each region of Jammu and Kashmir, seats will be divided equally based on the rules set. It is likely that seats in the Jammu division may increase.
- After the removal of Article 370 and 35A, the Indian Constitution came into force in Jammu and Kashmir as well, equivalent to other states.
- All political discrimination ended as half of the population in Jammu and Kashmir i.e. women, Dalits, West Pakistani refugees, Gorkha, millions of POJK displaced people got their rights to be permanent residents, apart from basic rights like equality, parity and equal opportunity.
- Free water from India’s share will be stopped from flowing into Pakistan. Ujh Hydro Power Project has been approved for irrigation in Kathua district costing Rs.6000 crores. Under this project, 0.65 million acre-feet of water from the Ujh river, a tributary of Ravi, will be stored.
- The wall between Jammu and Kashmir and other states was removed. New domicile policy gives residents of other states an opportunity to settle down in the Valley. They can buy land and become permanent residents in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Central Sector Scheme for Industrial Development of Jammu and Kashmir
will provide livelihood to Kashmiris
- 7th Pay Commission was implemented with immediate effect in Jammu and Kashmir on 31 October 2019. Simultaneously, the Jammu and Kashmir Civil Service cadre was merged with the AGMUT cadre.
- Post scrapping of Article 370, Panchayati Raj was established in Jammu and Kashmir. 51.7% voting took place in district panchayat elections, which is remarkable. For the first time, 100 women got elected after the implementation of women’s reservation. Alongside, 280 district Panchayat members were elected for the first time and District Presidents were elected in 20 districts, also for the first time.
- For the first time political reservation was implemented in the Union Territory in which 6 women district presidents, two each SC and ST district presidents were elected in 20 districts.
- For the first time during the election, there was no firing anywhere and 2178 candidates contested for 280 seats, of which 450 were women. In the district panchayat elections, 38 Gujjar Bakkarwals included in the ST category were elected as members of the district panchayat.
- From 01 June 2020-21, Sarpanchs have started paying for MGNREGA scheme. Consequently, they will be handed over 1000 crores more this year.
- Panchayats have been strengthened in 17 months and 21 subjects are handed over to panchayats while they have also been strengthened, with 1500 crores been transferred to their accounts.
- Six thousand government jobs have been arranged for displaced Kashmiri Hindus in the last one year.
- The total budget estimated for the financial year 2021-22 for Jammu and Kashmir has been kept at Rs 1,08,621 crore, in which developmental expenditure is Rs 39817 crore.
- The construction of Udhampur-Baramulla rail route is going on, which will be ready by next year.
- An MoU has been signed regarding 3300 MW power capacity.
- Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Rural) 29429 houses have been built till March 3, 2021.
- Six lakh people participated in various sports activities in 2019-20. This is only possible because the law-and-order situation is normal now.
Tunnel coming up in Kashmir
- J&K administration has successfully digitalised more than 2 crore pages of 3.50 lakh files under ‘e-office’ project. While this will save 50 crores in a year, there will be no need to move these files from Jammu to Srinagar and vice versa.
- In the current financial year, the Government of Jammu and Kashmir has implemented a plan to provide financial help to 50 thousand youth for self-employment under the “Back to Village” program.
- To increase the respect for the national tricolour among school children, the background of the sign board of 23,111 government schools has tricolor and all the information about the school is written on it.
- The Central Government has given a package of 80, 000 crore for the development of Jammu and Kashmir under the PM Special Relief Package that includes all stalled development works including IITs, IIMs and AIIMS besides infrastructure projects.
- Kashmiris will not have to depend only on natural sources for water. By this year end, 11 lakh households will get a clean water supply. The central government has released Rs 10500 crore to ensure this.
- Two AIIMS are being built. A 750-bed AIIMS at Vijaypur in Jammu, while 750-bed AIIMS in Samba district and another AIIMS at Awantipora in Kashmir division.
- Approval of a special package of Rs 520 crore for Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana- National Rural Livelihoods Mission (NRLM- DAY) in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
- By September 2022, all 18.16 lakh rural households will be covered by 100% piped water supply. By March 2021, 100 percent houses will be covered in two more districts. Nine districts will be covered by March 2022 and remaining seven districts will be covered by September 2022.
- Under the ‘Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana’ (PMGSY), 5300 km will be covered in Jammu and Kashmir 2020-21. Work on the road construction plan continues.
- AB-PMJAY- health insurance scheme has been envisaged by the government to provide free health protection up to Rs.5 lakh rupees to all the people of Jammu and Kashmir and to make health insurance inclusive under the Sehat Yojana. Under this, health insurance up to Rs 5 lakh per family has been given on floater basis for all residents of Jammu and Kashmir.
