JAMMU: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said Article 370, which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir and was abrogated in 2019, was the biggest hurdle in the development of the erstwhile state. Modi also said that after the abrogation of Article 370, Jammu and Kashmir, which is now a Union Territory, has witnessed balanced development across regions and in all sectors. Addressing a rally after launching multiple projects worth over Rs 32,000 crore for Jammu and Kashmir and projects worth Rs 13,500 crore for other parts of the country, he also said the government has reached people’s doorstep in Jammu and Kashmir the first time. “This is Modi’s guarantee and this will continue,” he said.The prime minister said that the BJP government had repealed Article 370, which was the primary obstacle to bringing about comprehensive development in Jammu and Kashmir. “The wellbeing of the general public cannot be considered by a government whose top concern is the welfare of a single family. I’m glad to see that dynastic control is ending in Jammu and Kashmir,” he remarked. “A developed India means a developed Jammu and Kashmir.” After Art 370 was repealed, according to Modi, the common people of Jammu and Kashmir were guaranteed social justice as stated in the Constitution for the first time. “There is a lot of enthusiasm in the whole world today about a developing Jammu and Kashmir.”“The projects in Jammu and Kashmir will propel holistic development of the region,” he stated. According to the prime minister, in the past ten years, India has constructed a record number of schools, colleges, and universities, with 50 new degree colleges being established in Jammu & Kashmir alone. Modi initiated or lay the groundwork for a number of infrastructure projects in Jammu & Kashmir, including those pertaining to roads, trains, aviation, and education. While IITs, IIMs, and central universities are involved in projects for different regions of the nation. Amidst the ‘Viksit Bharat, Viksit Jammu’ campaign, Modi also met with beneficiaries of various schemes and gave appointment letters to approximately 1,500 recently hired government employees in Jammu and Kashmir.
