Jammu, Feb 27: The Centre’s decision to revoke Article 370 of the Constitution proved to be “good” as it strengthened development and “ended” terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, Union Minister Ramdas Athawale said on Thursday.
There was a time when tourists were afraid of visiting Jammu and Kashmir but that has changed after the revocation of Article 370, the minister of state for social justice and empowerment said at a press conference here.
On August 5, 2019, the Centre abrogated Article 370, which accorded a special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. The government also divided Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories — Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
“The (PM) Narendra Modi-led government has taken a lot of important decisions and the abrogation of Article 370 was a very big step which strengthened development in J&K, ended terrorism and generated employment opportunities besides establishing peace and paving the way for unfurling the tricolour,” Athawale said.
Earlier, people were afraid of visiting J&K but the
Article 370 Abrogation
situation changed after Article 370 was revoked and more than 2.5 million tourists visited the union territory last year, he said.
“The increase in tourism means more development for the region. It was a very good decision to revoke Article 370. Now the people want us to give the status of a state to J&K. When (Home Minister) Amit Shah announced the removal of Article 370, he also announced that J&K’s statehood would be restored at an appropriate time. Jammu and Kashmir will get the status of a state soon and all of people’s problems will be resolved,” he added.
The minister lauded the highest voter turnout in Jammu and Kashmir in the assembly elections held last year.
“Though the alliance of the National Conference and the Congress came to power, it hardly matters to us as we are with the people and want the region’s development,” he said.
Asked about the rape of a 26-year-old woman in a bus at the busy Swargate depot in Pune, Athawale said such incidents are condemnable and heart-wrenching.
“We demand that the culprits behind such incidents be hanged,” he said.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis has already directed police to speed up the investigation and bring the culprit to book, he said.
“Society needs to come forward to counter such incidents which are increasing. The people behind such incidents should be boycotted as we are seeing atrocities being committed on even three to four-year-old children. It is the responsibility of parents and families to ensure that their children get a good education,” he said.
On the opposition to the “imposition” of Hindi in Tamil Nadu, Athawale said the introduction of Hindi in the southern state should not be opposed as it will harm the country’s unity and integrity.
“Hindi is… spoken by almost 90 to 100 crore people while state-level languages are restricted to particular areas. So there is no harm in introducing Hindi anywhere,” he said.
Athawale was on a visit to review the progress of centrally-sponsored schemes meant for the development of the union territory.
He expressed satisfaction over the implementation of government schemes for the welfare of various sections
Meanwhile, The Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment Sh. Ramdas Athawale Thursday highlighted the role of the union government in ensuring inclusive development in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. In a review meeting with the Department of Social Welfare Jammu and Kashmir the minister took stock of the implementation and outlined the benefits of various welfare initiatives of the Government of India.
In his speech, Athawale highlighted several key initiatives, including Jan Dhan Yojna, Ujwala Yojana, Mudra Yojna, PM Awas Yojna among others. The Minister was apprised that, as per the Jan Dhan Yojna, 54.8 crore accounts have been opened in the country with 28 lakh accounts opened in Jammu and Kashmir, empowering citizens with access to banking services. He was further informed that 4.7 lakh LPG connections were provided in the Jammu division as per the Ujawala Yojna.
He said that 51.9 crore beneficiaries were provided loans under Mudra Yojana in the country with 1.4 lakh in Jammu Kashmir. He informed that about 90.5 lakh houses were constructed under the PM Awas Yojna at the cost of 167881 crore rupees including 2.5 lakh houses in Jammu. The minister added that pan India 8.2 core people benefited from Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (Ayush Bharat Yojana) and under the Ujala Scheme 36.8 crore led bulbs were provided to beneficiaries from 2015-2025.
During the meeting, the minister informed that the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment will broaden its ambit in the Union Territory so that more and more people are benefited by the government welfare initiatives.
The MoS was also apprised about the progress in Nasha Mukht Bharat Abhiyaan, noting the successful completion of 646 awareness activities in Jammu with participation from over 10.5 lakh people. The Minister assured that more drug de-addiction centers would be established, with plans for additional centers in Udhampur, Reasi and Ramban.
Further highlighting the government’s focus on the elderly, Athawale emphasized that Social Justice Ministry is taking active role in the the establishment of old age homes and daycare facilities in the region. He said that an old age home in every district and an additional one on the way will provide vital support for the elderly in Jammu and Kashmir.
The Minister also highlighted the ongoing efforts to empower the Divyangjan (differently-abled individuals), ensuring that their needs are met with adequate facilities and provisions. The Minister said that the government is committed to upholding the honour and self-respect of Divyang people adding that many policies and initiatives are implemented by the Modi government aiming at improving the lives of Divyangjan. He reiterated that the Ministry of State for Social Justice & Empowerment is always ready to provide services to all divyangjan and the senior citizens. He said that 2300 old age homes costing 407 crore rupees have been constructed across the country including in Jammu and Kashmir.
The minister highlighted that the government is prioritizing the region’s economic growth and inclusive development by introducing various welfare initiatives from time to time. He informed that in the Union Budget 2025, more funds have been allocated for Centrally-sponsored schemes for their effective implementation in J&K. He said the government has resolved to fruits of development reach maximum people in the Union Territory.
