Rs 70,000-Crore Investment Proposals Achieved Within A Year: J-K LG

Cautioning people about a 'section in society' which has always been "misleading" them about imaginary issues like demographic changes, Jammu and Kashmir Lt Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday said a target of investment proposals worth Rs 70,000 crore has been achieved within a year after 2019 "historic transformative" changes.

He said the central government under the "strong and able leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi" took the "bold and decisive" step of breaking the shackles erected in the path of development of Jammu and Kashmir which is fast moving towards becoming a powerful and self-reliant Union Territory.

"After the historic transformative changes in August 2019 (when centre abrogated Article 370 and bifurcated the erstwhile state into two UTs), Jammu and Kashmir is poised to become the latest success story among Indian states and a model of socio-economic development for the country," Sinha said in his Republic Day message.

Extending his heartiest greetings and best wishes to all on the eve of the 73rd Republic Day, the Lt Governor said despite challenges, efforts are underway for turning Jammu and Kashmir into a preferred destination for industrial investment and opportunities. "The industrial revolution started just a year ago has achieved much more than what the Union Territory had clocked in the last 72 years. After the implementation of the new industrial scheme, investment proposals worth Rs 48,000 crores have been received," he said.

He said the land use change policy which was a major impediment for the industrial development of the region has been simplified which is likely to attract more investment. "However, the people are being misled on this issue too," he said, without naming anyone but apparently referring to the criticism by regional parties, especially the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The Lt Governor assured the "land owners and farmers that all these changes have been effected with the sole aim of empowering them. There is a section in the society which has always been misleading the people about imaginary issues like demographic change, and on this pretext the most hardworking and needy class of people had been deprived of alienated their own land, or even using it as per their wishes or requirements."

Jammu and Kashmir recently hosted the first-ever historic Real Estate summit in December 2021, in which investment proposals worth Rs 18,300 crore were finalized, while the investment proposals attracted by J&K in the recently concluded Dubai Expo stands at Rs 3,000 crore.

"In total, a target of investment proposal worth Rs 70,000 crore has been achieved within a year," the Lt Governor said. He said the government is committed to build a strong Jammu and Kashmir and "we will continue to march ahead with Mantra of 4 P's -- Peace, Progress, Prosperity and People first."

The Jammu and Kashmir Private Industrial Estate Development Policy has been introduced, which incorporates mechanisms for public-private partnership in the industrial sector. The Lt Governor highlighted the co-existence of various religions, enriching and diversifying Jammu and Kashmir's cultural heritage and making the Union Territory an example of immortal organic composite Indian culture.

Giving details of the reforms made in the last 30 months, the Lt Governor said the government is developing Jammu and Kashmir as the piece of Indian culture and ethos that has the capability to provide opportunity to industries to compete, connect and collaborate with its readily available abundant resources.

"J&K is fast moving towards becoming a powerful and self-reliant Union Territory by improving the standard of living of farmers, youth, women, labourers and every citizen of Jammu and Kashmir," he said. On the government's efforts in employment generation in the last one and a half years, the Lt Governor said about 11,000 appointments have been made in various government departments in a fair and transparent manner, "which was unprecedented in the history of Jammu and Kashmir".

"For the first time, children from the disadvantaged and poor sections have secured jobs on the basis of merit, turning their dreams into reality," he said. "Another 20,323 additional posts at various levels have been identified and referred to the Jammu and Kashmir Services Selection Board for recruitment. Besides, 1850 appointments have been made in J&K Bank at various levels in a fair and transparent manner," he said.

"As many as 1,37,870 youths have been provided assistance in their entrepreneurial ventures under various self-employment generation schemes and programmes," the Lt Governor said. 

With inputs from PTI.