Stone pelting incidents in Jammu and Kashmir are a "thing of the past", Union Minister Jitendra Singh said Tuesday and asserted that various infrastructure projects will change the face of the Union Territory.
Addressing around 250 school children from all districts of Jammu and Kashmir, who are on a visit to the national capital, he said they are destined to be the architects of 2047 when India will celebrate the centenary of Independence.
Stone pelting incidents in Jammu and Kashmir are a "thing of the past", Union Minister Jitendra Singh said Tuesday and asserted that various infrastructure projects will change the face of the Union Territory.
Addressing around 250 school children from all districts of Jammu and Kashmir, who are on a visit to the national capital, he said they are destined to be the architects of 2047 when India will celebrate the centenary of Independence.
These students are visiting Jaipur, Ajmer and New Delhi as part of the Union government's 'Watan Ko Jano - Youth Exchange Programme'. In the spirit of 'Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat', the visit is aimed at showcasing the cultural and social diversity of the country to the youth of Jammu and Kashmir.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the picturesque region of Jammu and Kashmir has undergone a remarkable transformation, Singh said, adding, "Stone pelting incidents are a thing of the past. Today, Jammu and Kashmir makes headlines more for stories of sporting achievements."
"Cricketers like Abdul Samad, Umran Malik, Parvaiz Rasool and Manzoor Pandav play in the IPL. Wushu players Surya Bhanu Partap Singh and Abhishek Jamwal brought laurels to the country in the recent Moscow championships.
"In 2022, Kashmiri skier Arif Khan carried India's national flag at the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics in Beijing," the Union minister said.
He said girls in Kashmir participate in sports on par with boys.
"Earlier this year, 16-year-old Sheetal Devi from Loidhar village in Kishtwar became the first female archer without arms to compete internationally. At the Asian Para Games, she claimed three medals, including a gold, in different categories," Singh said.
He stressed that this shift can be attributed to various factors, including increased administrative support, improved infrastructure and a growing priority to youth.
Stating that an increasing number of items from Jammu and Kashmir were being geo-tagged, the minister said it would help promote sales of GI-tagged products from the Union Territory to boost the local economy.
"The government under the leadership of PM Modi has made efforts to bring development in Jammu and Kashmir," he said.
Singh mentioned various infrastructure projects such as the Ujh multipurpose project, the Shahpur Kandi dam project, the construction of the world's highest railway bridge on the Chenab river in Reasi and the setting up of AIIMS and IIMs to assert that these projects will change the face of the Union Territory.
An engineering college has started functioning in the Kathua district and a medical college will also be opened soon, the Union minister said.
"North India's first Biotech park will be set up in Kathua," he said, adding that a record number of tourists visited Jammu and Kashmir this year.
Citing the success of the Aroma Mission, which aims to increase farmers' income through the cultivation of high-value aromatic crops, and of the Purple Revolution, promoting lavender farming on a commercial scale, Singh encouraged the students from Jammu and Kashmir to also look for opportunities outside government jobs.
He said lavender cultivation is an avenue for Agri startups, employment generation and research, opening many paradigms of development.
"Bhaderwah has emerged as the lavender capital of India and Agri StartUp destination. Following the success of the Aroma Mission and Purple Revolution in Bhaderwah and Gulmarg regions, over 3,000 startups are now engaged in lavender cultivation alone," the minister said.
"Farmers of Bhaderwah and Doda districts produced 300 litres, 500 litres, 800 litres and 1,500 litres of lavender oil in 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022, respectively. They earned Rs 5 crore between 2018 and 2022 by selling dry lavender flowers, plants and oil," he said.
Singh, who represents the Udhampur constituency of Jammu and Kashmir in the Lok Sabha, said the discovery of lithium in Reasi district may well turn out to be "India’s next big story", giving a multi-fold boost to the country's economy.
"Analysis suggests that the value of lithium deposits in Reasi may be higher than China," he said, adding that there is a huge demand for lithium, a key component in rechargeable batteries, as the world turns to renewable energy.
Singh appealed to the students to be catalysts of PM Modi's reforms and help their effective implementation in Jammu and Kashmir.
"The Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir and the north-eastern region have huge natural resources that would drive India's future growth story during the Amrit Kaal towards attaining a Viksit Bharat @ 2047," he said.
During the interaction, the students thanked Singh for the government's support to students from Jammu and Kashmir, allowing them to have the opportunity to study in premier universities and colleges under the PM special scholarship scheme, a statement by the Personnel Ministry said.