Srinagar: Union Minister of Home and Cooperation Amit Shah Friday made a fervent appeal to the youth of Jammu and Kashmir to participate in the process of progress.
“I appeal to the youth of J&K to get involved with the process of development. There is no future in stone pelting and wielding a gun. Our future is in getting involved in the process of development. The nation and the whole world are waiting for you. You should lead development and change and give new dimensions to it. The people who handed you guns and stones are not your well-wishers. The government is giving you laptops, electricity, roads, and developing tourism because they want your future,” he said, inaugurating and laying the foundation stone of several development projects worth more than Rs 500 crore in Srinagar.
The home minister said: “I visit J&K every 8 or 9 months. People come and meet me. But no one ever raised demand for amenities like schools, colleges, roads, and water supply facilities. They never believed that they would receive them. But PM Modi made these facilities available to them because of his commitment to giving new life to the people of J&K.”
He said whenever a critical illness strikes anyone, the family spirals down the path of debt.
“But in J&K, the government has ensured health insurance up to Rs 5 lakh to every resident. In other states of India, this facility at the government cost is available to only the poor. But PM Modi ensured that every resident of J&K receives this benefit by extending its coverage to everyone here,” Shah said. “When I receive letters of appreciation from the poor my mind is filled with bliss. What a people-oriented governance means is seen by the people of J&K in the last 5 years after a long period. This has happened under the leadership of PM Modi.”
He said: “I have seen a taunt-laced appeal from Abdullah Sahab where he said that India is the mother of democracy but it ends in J&K. He is correct. But it happened during his father’s and grandfather’s rule. It is a matter of the past now. It was a time when democracy was held hostage by the three families. They did not allow the elections of panchayats to take place, preventing people from becoming panchs and sarpanchs. They did not allow the tehsil and district panchayats to be formed. But now democracy has returned to J&K where 35,000 elected representatives are now scripting the future of their villages, tehsils, and districts by themselves. From them tomorrow J&K will find their MPs, MLAs, and even national leaders. But some people do not like this change because they want to have control of politics. Narendra Modi ensured that the culture of democracy percolates to the ground and thus fortified democracy. This is possible when the heart is full of commitment to democracy.”
The home minister said: “We have seen a drastic dip in the number of incidents of stone pelting. Strikes, bandhs, and bomb blasts that disrupt normal public life are now under control. Today schools and colleges are running smoothly, new industries are being set up, and 1.88 crore tourists visited J&K in 2022 which is the highest figure of tourist footfall in independent India.”
He said: “When I came here once we were told by an association that not everyone was allowed to buy a taxi. Only the people whose fathers had a taxi could be the proud owner of taxis and earn a living. But now anyone who gets security clearance can buy a taxi. This is a very important source of employment. In the last two decades, no new hotels were built in J&K. But I can assure you that in the next five years, especially in Kashmir, the number of hotel rooms will increase by more than threefold.”
Shah said: “Modi Ji sends Rs 6000 to 12.45 lakh farmers of J&K every year. Prior to this no farmer ever received any funds from the government. This money is his input cost. Today farmers need not take loans. In the last three years, the farmers of J&K have received Rs 100 crore as crop insurance benefits. Prior to that they never received such benefits. Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, 11,96,000 water supply connections have been given. There were 13,80,000 families who did not have toilets in their homes even after 70 years of independence. In the last five years, this has been achieved. Similarly, 65,91,000 people receive 5 kg of rice every month and 1.86 lakh people have received homes in villages and urban areas. They did not have any homes at all. Under the DBT scheme in the last 4 years, Rs 23000 crore has been sent to the bank accounts of the beneficiaries.”
He said: “Earlier too money came but the beneficiaries did not receive them. Many people have palatial mansions in foreign countries. How did they own them? What is their business? People should ask about it. How did they spend 45 to 60 days on foreign vacations? This money which is now sent as DBT was earlier lost to corruption.”
Shah said that Dal Lake was envisioned as a prime tourist location in India. “Primarily a project worth Rs 85 crore has been allocated. Similarly, Tatto Ground will be constructed in such a way that every child in this country will be raring to come here. Srinagar Smart City Limited has begun multi-level parking, smart lighting, unified command and development of parks and many other such projects. Many degree colleges, nursing colleges, IIMs, IITs, and IIITs have also started. Recently the G20 summit was also held. Many people made many predictions about it. But Lt Governor Manoj Sinha proved every prediction wrong. G20 was the biggest opportunity to market the change that has taken place here. Now panchayats are receiving money directly.”