“Abolition of Article 370 has demolished the “speed breaker” of redundant laws which had obstructed the development process in Jammu-Kashmir and Leh-Laddakh”– Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi

Union Minister of Minority Affairs Shri Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi today said at Leh in Laddakh that abolition of Article 370 has demolished the “speed breaker” of redundant laws which had obstructed the development process in Jammu-Kashmir and Leh-Laddakh.

Shri Naqvi said that now, Jammu-Kashmir, Leh-Laddakh are also getting benefits of various socio-economic-educational empowerment schemes of the Central Government.

Shri Naqvi, who came here on a two-day visit to the Union Territory of Laddakh, addressed various public meetings; met representatives of various social organisations in Leh, Saboo-Thang, ChushotShama, ChushotGongma, Phyangetc; he also reviewed different development projects with officials of the UT Administration.

Shri Naqvi said that scrapping of Article 370 in 2019 has removed the political and legal obstacles in development of Jammu-Kashmir, Leh-Laddakh and the UTs are witnessing significant development along with other states of the country. After abolition of the Article 370, more than 75,000 youths of Jammu-Kashmir, Leh-Kargil have been provided employment oriented skill development training; 50 new colleges are being set up; 25,000 seats have been added in existing colleges; lakhs of students have been provided various scholarships; one new medical college, one engineering college and National Skill Training Institute is being established in Laddakh.

Shri Naqvi said that the process has been started to fill vacant government posts; more than 35,000 school teachers have been regularised; more than Rs500 crorehave been allotted for construction labourers, Pitthuwalas, street vendors and women for different economic activities; steps have been taken to make Jammu-Kashmir and Leh-Kargil an “Investment Hub”. Global Investment Summit has generated an investment worth Rs 14,000 crore.

Shri Naqvi said that the entire population of Jammu-Kashmir, Leh-Kargil has been provided health insurance; more than 30 lakh people have been provided benefits under Ayushman Bharat health scheme; 17 special Covid hospitals and 60,000 beds have been created during Corona pandemic; about 2.5 lakh people of Jammu-Kashmir, Leh-Laddakh had been facilitated to return to their home during the Corona pandemic.

Shri Naqvi said that the Central Government has initiated several administrative, land and reservation reforms. 164 laws of Jammu-Kashmir have been scrapped and 138 laws have been amended, 890 laws of the Central Government have been implemented.  Amendment in reservation in government jobs has ensured that the maximum people are getting benefits.

Shri Naqvi said that 13 lakh women belonging to economically weaker sections in Jammu-Kashmir, Leh-Kargilhave been given free gas connection under Ujjwala scheme; about Rs 6000 crore have been given for other various development schemes; Laddakh has been connected with National Power Grid; Srinagar-Leh transmission has been started.

Shri Naqvi said that Union Minority Affairs Ministry has prepared a roadmap for large-scale development in Jammu-Kashmir, Leh-Kargil. In the coming days, Union Minority Affairs Ministry will construct school, college, ITI, hostel, residential school, polytechnic, Hunar Hub, Common Service Centre, SadbhavnaMandap and other health facilities. The process has been started to set up separate Haj Committee and Waqf Board for Jammu-Kashmir and Leh-Kargil. About 15.5 lakh students have been provided different scholarships; more than 20,000 people have been provided easy loans for various economic activities; basic infrastructure worth about Rs 1500 crore has been developed under “Pradhanmantri Jan VikasKarykram”.

Shri Naqvi said that during the Corona crisis, the NarendraModi Government brought historic and path breaking reforms in socio-economic-educational fields, administration, trade, labour, defence, coal, civil aviation, power distribution, space, forest land, agriculture, communication, banking, investment.

These bold reforms have ensured that India has converted “disaster into an opportunity”. The National Education Policy, creation of the National Recruitment Agency (NRA), “Mission Karmayogi”- National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building (NPCSCB) are historic steps of the Modi Government towards reforms. Jammu-Kashmir, Leh-Kargil are also being benefitted from all these measures.

Shri Naqvi took stock of different development programmes in a meeting with officials of UT of Laddakh; he met with representatives and other intellectuals of all sections of the society. Shri Naqvi laid foundation stone of new hostel block at Imamia Model School in Saboo-Thang; he interacted with the public at ChushotShama, he visited Imamia Mission School in ChushotGongma and he also interacted with the people in Phyang.