DEVELOPMENT IN JAMMU AND KASHMIR

Delhi,06 DEC 2023 

The Government has a policy of zero tolerance against terrorism. The approach of the Government is to dismantle the terror eco-system.  Security measures are being strengthened to sustain peace and stability in

J&K.  The strategies adopted and actions taken for containing acts of terror incidents in Jammu and Kashmir include:

1. Round-the-clock nakas at strategic points.
2. Group security in the form of static guards.
3. Intensified Cordon and Search Operations (CASO) to effectively deal with the challenges posed by terrorist organizations.
4. Sharing of intelligence inputs on a real-time basis, amongst all security forces, operating in Jammu and Kashmir.
5. Day & night area domination
6. Security arrangements through appropriate deployment.
7. Preventive operations involve identifying the strategic supporters of terrorism and initiating investigations to expose their mechanisms of aiding and abetting terrorism.
8. Identifications of vulnerable spots to prevent terrorist attacks on civilians. Besides, sensitizing men on the ground about the issue and initiation of measures to defeat the machination of terrorists or their mentors.

The above-mentioned strategies and actions have led to a decline in the number of terror incidents in J&K. Details are as under:

The Government is fully committed to the overall development of the Jammu and Kashmir and has taken several measures that have significantly boosted the development of Jammu & Kashmir. Details are as under:

1.         53 projects are being implemented at a cost of Rs.58,477 crores by 15 Ministries/Departments in the UT of Jammu and Kashmir under the Prime Minister’s Development Package-2015 in sectors such as Roads, Power, Health, Education, Tourism, Agriculture, Skill Development etc. has been accelerated. 32 projects have been completed/ substantially completed.
2.         07 New Government Medical Colleges have been operationalized. 28 B.Sc. Nursing Colleges and 19 B.Sc. Paramedic Colleges have been added. 800 more MBBS Seats have been added totaling to 1300. Presently 664 PG Medical Seats available out of which 297 PG Seats added after 2019. 1870 B.Sc. Nursing Seats and 125 M.Sc. Nursing Seats added in Nursing Colleges.
3.         The academic session of All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Jammu has been made operational while the work of AIIMS, Kashmir is going on at optimum speed. IIT Jammu / IIM Jammu institutes are functional. 50 new degree colleges have also been established.
4.         Under Hydro Power generation, MoUs signed for development of 05 Mega Projects, namely Sawlakote (1856 MW), Dul Hasti stage-II (258 MW), URI -I stage -II (240 MW), Kirthai (930 MW), and Rattle (850 MW) with total capacity of 4134 MW. Investment worth Rs. 34,882 Cr to flow in J&K.
5.         Smart Pre-paid metering is under implementation in three phases in J&K. 4.21 lakh smart meters already installed.
6.         Under Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY), 6,912 Km.  road length constructed during the last three years.
7.         A new milestone has been achieved by up-gradation of Jammu-Srinagar National Highway by way of constructing 8.45 Km long twin tube Qazigund-Banihal tunnel at an estimated cost Rs. 3,127 crore thereby reducing average time from Jammu to Srinagar from 8-10 hours to 5-6 hours, thereby reducing logistic cost of goods and services to the valley.
8.         The Air Traffic to and from J&K has been doubled post 2019. Night landing facilities have been provided in Jammu and Srinagar.
9.         Under Jal Jeevan Mission, about 13.54 Lakh rural households covering all villages provided with Tap Water Connections since start of the Mission i.e., August 2019 including 5.75 lakh covered before 2019.
10. During 2022-23, an investment of Rs. 2153.45 crore has been realized in the industrial sector. In the current financial year Rs. 2079.76 Crore investment has been realized upto October 2023.
11. Handloom and Handicraft Exports doubled from Rs. 563 Crore in 2021-22 to Rs. 1116.37 Crore in 2022-23.
12. Around 2900 hectares area covered high density plantation which includes 320 hectares for apple and 2400 for sub-tropical fruits which will substantially increase the income of apple growers besides providing suitable market.
13. PM Kisan saturated to eligible farmers of J&K. An amount of Rs. 2,517.08 crore credited directly into bank accounts of 12.55 lakh eligible farmers. 12.83 lakh farmers benefitted under the KCC.
14. Kashmiri saffron got GI Tagging for its uniqueness, which is being promoted at national and international platforms. Saffron Park has been established at Dusoo Pampore as a one-stop centre for saffron related linkages.
15. Tourism Development- 3rd Tourism Working meeting of G20 was held from 22nd May to 24th May at Srinagar. This event has placed the UT of J&K on the Global stage and served as a significant milestone in the progress and development of tourism in UT of   J&K.
16. In   the  recent   past,  the  Tourism  Sector in J & K  has  done exceptionally well and witnessed unprecedented growth in the year 2022, as more than 1.88 crore tourists have visited the UT of Jammu and Kashmir. This positive trend has continued during the current calendar year as 1.85 crore tourist arrivals till October 23 have been witnessed.
17. Health Sector- “AB-PMJAY-SEHAT SCHEME” a universal health insurance scheme provides free of cost insurance cover to all the residents of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir upto Rs 5.00 lakh per family on floater basis.  82.22 lakh beneficiaries have been registered under this scheme. A total of 8.87 lakh beneficiaries availed benefit under the scheme and claims paid amounting to ₹ 1,325 Cr.
18. Under Pre, Post and Merit cum Means Minority Scholarship Schemes, the Govt. has been able to register 210% increase in coverage from 1,43,154 (2018-19) to 3,00,651 students in 2022-23 . Similarly, 169% increase in coverage of Scheduled Cast Scholarships has been realized with coverage of 63,550 students in 2022-23 as against 8250 in 2018-19.
19. Tribal Affairs Department has done significant work in various sectors related to tribals including Health, Education, art & culture,

lifestyle, literature, infrastructure development, livelihood etc. 8 new hostel buildings, 200 smart schools, coaching facilities, 6 Eklavya Model Residential Schools, skill development to 2000 tribal and scholarship to 46,000 students provided by Tribal Affairs Department.

1. Employment Generation and Recruitment- The Government of Jammu and Kashmir has taken concrete steps to fill all the vacancies available across various departments in the UT of J&K. 31,830 selections (Gazetted and Non-Gazetted) have been finalized by the recruiting agencies after the year 2019 till date. The remarkable aspects of these recruitments have been transparency and fairness.
2. Implementation of self-employment schemes across various sectors to establish sustainable income-generating ventures for unemployed youth. A total of 7.4 lakh self-employement/livelihood opportunities generated/ strengthened since the year  2021-22 till date.
3. Youth- More than 62 lakh participation was witnessed in different sports activities in the year 2022-23 compared to less than two lakhs during 2018-19.
4. More than 5 lakh youth are associated with Mission Youth. Mission Youth initiative was awarded the PM Award for Innovation recently.
5. Art and Culture- The Government of J&K is continuously realigning resources and strategizing efforts to promote a long-term sustainable preservation, conservation and restoration of cultural, architectural, ethnic, linguistic and artistic values of J&K.
6. The Government of J&K has taken various IT initiatives such as M-Seva, digital Village Centre, e-UNNAT portal etc. to provide various G2C online services at the doorstep without visiting the Government offices in person and dealing with public officials in public places.
7. 100% saturation of various schemes being implemented in UT of J&K. The Government has been working to provide access to the basic amenities of life such as portable water, affordable health care, road connectivity, financial support to vulnerable groups, to realize equality of opportunity and equity of life outcomes through various flagship schemes. Innovative use of technology has become qua non for targeted intervention for ensuring demographic dividend do not leave out the marginalized and vulnerable sections of the society.

The Government of India has notified a New Central Sector Scheme for Industrial Development of Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir on 19.02.2021 with an outlay of Rs. 28,400 Cr to boost industrial development. In  addition, J&K Industrial Policy 2021-30, J&K Industrial Land Allotment Policy 2021-30, J&K Private Industrial Estate Development Policy 2021-30, J&K Wool Processing, Handicrafts and Handloom Policy 2020 have also been notified and various initiatives have been taken by the Government of Jammu and Kashmir for making the UT an investor friendly destination. Year-wise details of the investments are as under:

This was stated by Minister of State for Home Affairs Shri Nityanand Rai in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha.