Work in full swing to turn new chapter in Jammu and Kashmir

Special report from Srinagar

Almost a year after the Indian government cancelled constitutional article 370, which granted ‘special status’ to Jammu and Kashmir, several development and investment projects have been completed to turn a new chapter in the territory and help the people realise ambitions they have kept alive for seven decades.

On the other hand, filmmakers in Bollywood, Tollywood and other regions are not lagging behind; they are preparing to shoot movies, which could help promote the territory regionally and internationally.

The unprecedented development and investment drive in the territory was announced by Prime Minister Modi in a televised speech he delivered to the nation in August last year to mark his government’s historic decision, which abrogated ‘special status’ in Jammu and Kashmir. In his speech, Modi promised that his government would ‘usher the region to a new era of economic prosperity and development.’

Modi said that the abrogation ‘has broken one of the political taboos of the 20th century’. Modi won a landslide victory in general elections held in this largest democracy in the world in May the same year. Modi’s victory reinforced him as the country’s most formidable politician in decades.

The Indian government is confident that the implementation of investment and development programmes would remarkably boost its efforts to stem terrorism and violence in the region. .

One of major projects, which have been inaugurated in Srinagar is the two-tube flyover from Jehangir Chowk to Rambagh in the city. The project to construct a length of 2.40 kms in four-lane with an aggregate length of four kms including accesses, was started in 2013. The project was finally thrown open to the public in August 2019.

Similarly, the revetment along Jhelum riverfront, which was started in 2015, has been instrumental in mitigating the flood proneness of Srinagar city which usually witnessed floods because of overflow over embankments.

Addressing urban population, the government completed a project planned to solve the major issue of water logging in various areas of Srinagar. The project has been instrumental to provide relief to at least 21,000 households including commercial areas of Lal Chowk and Indra Nagar.

Meanwhile, for the development of sports infrastructure in the city, seven projects were undertaken. The infrastructure has been instrumental in the engagement of youth for sports activities.

Modi listed the benefits that Jammu and Kashmir citizens would enjoy that their territory has joined the Union. “There will be an immediate review of government employees and police in the state,” the Indian prime minister said in his August speech last year. “Everybody will now enjoy the same benefits as other government employees posted in other states of India,” he said. He asserted that central laws and schemes would now benefit minority communities in Jammu and Kashmir.

In order to augment the higher education infrastructure, the government began 19 projects in various degree colleges of Srinagar. Most of the projects have been completed. The aim of this project was to enhance the intake capacity of these colleges with special reference to professional courses. In his historic speech, Modi promised Kashmiris that education would prosper in their state after the scrapping of Article 370.

Twenty-five schools were taken to develop as model schools in Srinagar district to compete with private schools in the primary sector and to enhance the learning outcome in government schools. The project was started, completed and commissioned in 2019-20.

The government also improved the connectivity network of Srinagar by completing the long-pending five bridges within the city. The project has been instrumental in addressing the connectivity problems of various areas.

The government has given priority to establish quarantine centres to fight the Covid-19 pandemic. Presently, around 2,600 bed-capacity has been augmented at various locations such as Indoor Stadium, Hyderpora Warehouse, Sanat Nagar Marriage hall, IMPA Hostel, Hajj House, Srinagar and in eight hostels of the Government Degree College. This is aimed at easing out the admission of asymptomatic patients to government-run hospitals.