Ensure 100% Saturation Of Welfare Schemes In J & K: HM

(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer)

• Chairs Review Meeting On J&K Development Projects

• Says J&K Must Harness Full Hydropower Potential
• 'J&K Covered Under Capital Investment Scheme For First Time'

Jammu- Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah on Saturday reviewed the progress of development projects in Jammu and Kashmir and underscored the need to utilise the full potential of hydropower projects in the Union Territory.

Chairing a high-level review meeting at Lok Bhawan here, Shah said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Centre remains firmly committed to the vision of building a developed and prosperous Jammu and Kashmir.

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The meeting, which continued for nearly two hours, was attended by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo, Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat, and senior officials from the Central government and the Jammu and Kashmir administration.

“Due to the continuous and dedicated efforts of the Modi government to accelerate development, development projects in Jammu and Kashmir have made unprecedented progress. The Union Territory needs to develop the full potential of its hydropower projects,” Shah said during the meeting.

During the review, the Home Minister undertook a comprehensive assessment of key sectors including road infrastructure, power, industry, tourism, and digital connectivity covering 4G and optical fibre networks. He stressed that special focus should be laid on achieving 100 percent saturation of Central government welfare schemes and ensuring that the benefits of all development projects reach the intended beneficiaries.

Read Also Tourists Still Eager to Visit J&K: Shah Amit Shah Reviews J&K Development Projects in Jammu Meeting

Shah said the enthusiasm of tourists from across the country to visit Jammu and Kashmir has not diminished. He called for aggressive marketing of the Union Territory's tourist destinations in other states to tap the full tourism potential and said the Government of India would provide all possible assistance for developing new tourist destinations.

The Home Minister also emphasised the importance of developing sports infrastructure and establishing sports academies to connect youth with development. He said efforts would be made to mobilise investment of around ₹200 crore by engaging various sports bodies.

In the agriculture and allied sectors, Shah said steps should be taken to promote the dairy sector in Jammu and Kashmir through the National Dairy Development Board.

Marking a significant fiscal development, Shah noted that Jammu and Kashmir has been brought under the ambit of the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment scheme for the first time in the financial year 2025–26. This will enable the Union Territory to access 50-year interest-free loans for capital expenditure projects. He underlined that strengthened fiscal discipline would assist in stabilising the Union Territory's fiscal deficit over time.

Shah said India is steadily progressing towards the goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047, marking 100 years of Independence, and reiterated that the Government of India will continue to extend wholehearted support to Jammu and Kashmir in pursuit of this goal. An official spokesperson said the Home Minister's visit reflects the Centre's firm resolve to make the development, peace, and security of Jammu and Kashmir a foremost national priority.

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Earlier, Shah arrived in Jammu late on Thursday evening and began his two-day visit by touring forward outposts of the Border Security Force at Gurnam and Bobiyian along the International Border in Kathua district on Friday. After returning from Kathua, he chaired a security review meeting that was attended, among others, by Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi, with a focus on freeing Jammu and Kashmir from terrorism.

During his visit, the Home Minister also met the families of police personnel who were killed while fighting terrorism and handed over job appointment letters to them. A BJP delegation called on Shah on Friday as well.

In a post in Hindi on X, Shah said he held meetings in Jammu with BJP state office-bearers as well as MLAs and MPs from Jammu and Kashmir. He said the BJP would continue working to ensure the ground-level reach of the Prime Minister's development initiatives while strengthening the organisation to realise the vision of a developed and secure Jammu and Kashmir.

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