The rise of Kashmir

Structural and institutional changes like ending the 150-year-old Darbar Move brought in another layer of transparency and improvement in governance. It also saved about Rs 400 crore annual expenditure that used to be incurred in shifting logistics from Srinagar to Jammu and back. It has also prevented the loss of at least one working month every year. We have adopted zero tolerance for corruption and more than 639 cases were registered against UT employees in the last two years.

The intelligentsia and PRIs were called upon to collectively rise to the task ahead in terms of strengthening agriculture, horticulture, planning projects for rural Jammu and Kashmir, unemployment and getting rid of inertia in governance. The thrust of the initiatives was to strengthen grass roots institutions and make villages the growth engine of the UT.

The security situation in the UT has undergone a sea change for the better. What was considered unachievable three years ago has been accomplished. Stone pelting and strikes have become a thing of the past. Strict action is being taken against troublemakers, instigators and agent provocateurs through legal measures. No civilian casualty occurred while managing the law and order situation in the last three years. For that, I have to thank the J&K police and the larger security establishment. The net result is the record footfall of tourists — one crore tourists visited the UT during the last seven months (January to July).

Jammu and Kashmir is trying to scale up infrastructure. Projects worth Rs 58,477 crore under the Prime Minister’s Development Package have picked up pace and direction after impediments and bottlenecks that hindered growth — land acquisition, forest clearances, utility shifting and court cases — were removed. Fifty new degree colleges have been established increasing the number of seats by 25,000. Big ticket infrastructure projects have come in the healthcare sector. Two new AIIMS, seven new medical colleges, two cancer institutes and 15 nursing colleges have been added and 140 health institutions are being upgraded. An additional 41,141 km of roads have been constructed. J&K is placed 4th in the ranking of states and UTs based on their performance in the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana.

Despite having a hydropower potential of 20,000 MW, J&K could tap only 3,500 MW in 70 years. In the last two years, projects for about 3,000 MW were revived. Earlier, J&K had shied away from agrarian change. With sustained interventions, the UT has achieved the third rank in the monthly income of agriculture households and was ranked the fifth best performing state/UT in agriculture and allied sectors. Thirty thousand jobs were generated in the government, 5.2 lakh youth were provided with the opportunity to become entrepreneurs under central and UT schemes, and more than five lakh women were associated with self-help groups. We are determined to utilise technology to train our youth for Industry 4.0. In the last 70 years, only Rs15,000 crore private investment was realised in J&K whereas in the last two years, the UT attracted proposals worth Rs 56,000 crore.

Dreams and aspirations are back in the lexicon of the common man in J&K, which has encouraged us to work harder. This synergy is fueling development. Har Ghar Tiranga has heralded a new dawn of Ek Bharat Shresth Bharat, which will offer more space for brotherhood and humanity in Jammu and Kashmir.

The writer is Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir