Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday paid a visit to Jammu and Kashmir for the first time since his government scrapped the region’s special status in August 2019.
In his first official visit to the valley, PM Modi interacted with the people and gram sabhas and flagged off numerous key projects. Top business leaders from the UAE also accompanied the PM on his visit, underlining the backing of industrialists and investors from a leading Islamic block as the BJP government pitched a new phase for J&K post-Article 370.
He participated in the celebration of the National Panchayati Raj Day. He visited Palli Panchayat in Samba district where he addressed a gathering including more than 30,000 Panchayati Raj Institution (PRI) members of Jammu and Kashmir where PRIs from across the country connected virtually for the Prime Minister’s address.
In addition, PM Modi also interacted with panchayat representatives in Palli in Samba district where he asked the representatives to utilize their tenure to do such good work in their area that they will be remembered for generations.
PM Narendra Modi laid the foundation stones for the 850 MW Ratle Hydroelectric Project and 540 MW Kwar Hydroelectric Project that is to be constructed on the Chenab river in Kishtwar district.
He also inaugurated the Banihal-Qazigund Road Tunnel, built at a cost of over Rs 3,100 crore. The 8.45 km long tunnel will reduce the road distance between Banihal and Qazigund by 16 km, and reduce journey time by around one and a half hours.
In addition, the PM laid the foundation stone of the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway and also inaugurated the 500KW Solar Power Plant at Palli village in Samba.
All development projects worth Rs 20,000 crore were launched by the PM. He also addressed the people of the valley and assured them that the youth of Jammu and Kashmir will not inherit the problems their ancestors faced and emphasized the importance of panchayats in India’s democracy.
“I am here with a message of development. To give speed to development in J&K, projects worth over Rs 20,000 crore have been inaugurated today. This year Panchayati Raj Day is being celebrated in J&K. This signals a new development. Democracy has reached the grassroots level. The people of J&K were deprived of a 3-tier Panchayati Raj system for many years.” PM Modi was quoted as saying.
April 24 marked Modi’s first major visit to J&K since August 5, 2019. Modi had briefly visited J&K to celebrate Diwali with the armed forces in the Nowshera district on November 4, 2021. Before that, he had visited J&K in April 2019.
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