KISHTWAR, Nov 11 : Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science and Technology; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Department of Atomic Energy & Department of Space, said today that Kishtwar in Jammu and Kashmir is on track to become North India’s major “power hub,” generating around 6,000 MW of power after the completion of ongoing power projects. Dr. Jitendra Singh, who was on an extensive tour of the remote and peripheral areas of the hill district of Kishtwar, visited Gulabgarh in the Paddar area and the remote village of Massu, where he also inaugurated the new School established by “Shiksha Bharti” for village children.The Union Minister, who is also a physician and diabetologist, attended the Indian Army’s Multi Specialty Medical Camp in the village of Gulabgarh. Later, in the presence of district administration officers, Dr. Jitendra Singh held public interactions in the remote village of Massu as well as in Gulabgarh. He also spoke to the local PRIs, which included BDC members, Councillors, Sarpanches, and prominent activists from the region. Dr. Jitendra Singh stated during his address and later in a press conference that 6 to 7 major hydropower projects have been built in the region in the last 9 to 10 years since Shri Narendra Modi became Prime Minister.He went on to say that the largest capacity project, Pakal Dul, has a capacity of 1000 MW. Its current estimated cost is Rs.8,112.12 crore, with a competition timeline of 2025. Kiru Hydroelectric Project, with a capacity of 624 MW, is another major project. The project’s estimated cost is Rs. 4,285.59 crore, and the timeline is also 2025, he said. The Minister also stated that the 850 MW Ratle project has been revived as a joint venture between the centre and the UT of J&K. Furthermore, the current Dulhasti power station has a capacity of 390 MW, while the Dulhasti II Hydroelectric project will have a capacity of 260 MW.Dr Jitendra Singh said these projects shall not only augment the power supply position thereby making up for the shortage of power supply in the UT of J&K , but the huge investment being made for construction of these projects is also a boost for direct as well as indirect opportunities for the local people.
For six long decades, said Dr Jitendra Singh, the successive governments at the Centre and the State had ignored Kishtwar region because of their vote bank politics. It was only after Prime Minister Modi took over that he changed the work culture and ensured that all neglected regions would be given their due attention and priority so that they may also rise to the same level.
For example, he said, for several years, people here had been agitating and demanding a Degree college for Paddar but Congress and National Conference governments deliberately ignored this demand. It was only after Prime Minister Narendra Modi took over in 2014 that a Degree college was sanctioned for Paddar under Centre’s scheme RUSA (Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan).
Citing another example, Dr Jitendra Singh said that before 2014, road travel to Kishtwar was cumbersome and on the slightest landside, the Doda-Kishtwar road got blocked. But today, the road travel time from Jammu to Kishtwar has reduced from over 7 hours in 2014 to less than 5 hours now. Similarly, he said, during these 9 years, Kishtwar has come up on the Aviation Map of India and has been sanctioned an airport under Centre’s UDAAN Scheme, which nobody had ever imagined.
Similarly, Dr Jitendra singh said, three new national highways including Khilani-Sudhmahadev Highway, a series of Degree Colleges, mobile towers enroute Machail Yatra and other remote areas have also come up during the Modi government, he said.
As for Machail, Dr Jitendra Singh said, mobile towers have been set up, multiple toilet complexes constructed and solar plants installed for regular power supply, and all this happened only after 2014. Not only this, the motorable road to Machail is under fast track construction and the day is not far when Kisthwar to Machail travel would be just about 1 1⁄2 to 2 hours, he added
Meanwhile, the Multi speciality medical camp organised by the Army at Gulabgarh provided medical care to nearly 2,000 patients. All the villagers registered for the camp were ushered to General OPD, where Medical Officers and Specialists elicited the clinical details and advised investigations, where required. The cases of Anaemia, Hypertension, Diabetes, Migraine, Cervical Spondylosis and Pulmonary Tuberculosis were diagnosed and managed. The Medical Specialist provided consultation and treatment to the patients. Patients with diabetes were counselled for dietary modification. Patients with known Hypertension were educated about the diseases and their antihypertensive medications were optimised as per their recorded BP in camp with healthy dietary advice. Patients with tuberculosis were counselled for anti-tubercular drug treatment with advice to follow up at DOTS Centers.
Dr Jitendra Singh thanked the Army and the team led by Major General Shivendra Singh for providing the much needed medical facilities to this remote hilly rural area. He said, the people of this region are eagerly thankful to the Army who has stood by them during the time of terrorism and also come forward to serve them at the time of peace.
