NEW DELHI, JAN 25: In a groundbreaking development, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah, inaugurated a state-of-the-art e-bus service in Jammu and Kashmir and distributed over a thousand appointment letters for the Jammu and Kashmir Combined Examination-2024 and compassionate appointments.
The event, conducted via video conferencing from New Delhi, was marked by Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation, Amit Shah’s detailed address, highlighting the crucial aspects of the initiatives.
During his speech, Amit Shah underscored the paramount importance of the programme, emphasising the provision of 100 fully air-conditioned e-buses dedicated to the people of Jammu. The ambitious project, involving the operation and maintenance of these buses for a period of 12 years, incurred a substantial cost of Rs 561 crore. Shah attributed the success of such green initiatives to the global environmental awareness propagated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He further informed that the Modi government has actively implemented similar schemes for e-buses across the country, with Jammu being the latest recipient of 100 such buses, comprising 25 buses with a length of 12 meters and 75 buses with a length of 9 meters.
Shah stressed that this pioneering initiative aims to provide a reliable, comfortable, economical, and durable public transport facility for the people of Jammu, covering various routes within the region. He elaborated that these buses will not only address the current commuting challenges but will also contribute significantly to environmental conservation. The routes include connectivity from Jammu to Katra, Kathua, Udhampur, and internal routes within Jammu.
The Union Home Minister also made a significant announcement regarding the distribution of appointment letters to 209 successful candidates of the Jammu and Kashmir Combined Examination-2024. These include officers from the Jammu & Kashmir Administrative Service, Account Gazette Service, and Police Service. Shah applauded the transparent system under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, ensuring merit-based selections devoid of political recommendations or corruption. The appointments encompass 96 officers of the Jammu and Kashmir Administrative Service, 63 officers of the Account Gazette Service, and 50 officers of the Police Service.
Highlighting the positive changes in Jammu and Kashmir, Amit Shah specifically mentioned the filling of 34,440 vacancies post the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A since August 2019. Out of these, 24,000 have been filled by the Jammu & Kashmir Service Selection Board, 3900 by the Jammu & Kashmir Public Service Commission, 2637 by the Jammu & Kashmir Police, and 2436 by the Jammu & Kashmir Bank. Shah emphasized that the filling of these appointments has been carried out with an emphasis on transparency and the elimination of corruption.
Amit Shah also urged the youth to actively participate in the democratic process on National Voters Day, emphasising the role of voters as the smallest unit in the democratic system. He highlighted the successful conduct of Panchayat elections in 2018, Block Development Council elections in October 2019, and the subsequent establishment of 3650 Sarpanches in 4483 constituencies.
Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation emphasised that today, being National Voters Day, is a reminder of the democratic system functioning in the country, with the voter being the smallest unit. He urged all youth above 18 years of age to register their names in the electoral rolls and become active participants in strengthening democracy in India and Jammu & Kashmir.
Amit Shah commended the efforts of the Modi government in bringing about peace and security in the region. Citing statistics, he noted a significant decline in terrorism-related incidents, civilian deaths, and security forces’ casualties. The Home Minister also outlined the government’s focus on development, investments, and infrastructure improvement in Jammu & Kashmir.
Expressing confidence in the continued progress of Jammu and Kashmir under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Amit Shah highlighted the active engagement of the youth in constructive endeavors for the region’s betterment.
Union Home Minister highlighted that a new era of peace and security has begun in Jammu & Kashmir under the leadership of Prime Minister Modi and Lt. Governor Manoj Sinha. He disclosed that the region witnessed an investment of Rs 297 crore in 2019-20, which escalated to Rs 2153 crore in 2022-23, with an additional investment of Rs 6000 crore in the pipeline.
Shah detailed the economic growth, stating that the Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) rose from Rs one lakh crore in 2014-15 to a staggering Rs 2,27,927 crore in 2022-23. He emphasized the expansion of educational institutions, citing an increase from 94 to 147 colleges, the establishment of IIM, IIT, and two AIIMS, as well as the addition of 7 new medical colleges.
Amit Shah revealed that 173 projects were completed under the Smart City Mission, providing homes to 1,45,000 people between 2019 and 2024. He highlighted the achievement of providing tap water to the houses of 13 lakh people and covering the entire health expenses of up to Rs 5 lakh for 82 lakh people, courtesy of the Government of India and the Government of Jammu & Kashmir.
The Union Home Minister concluded by emphasizing the government’s efforts in increasing online services, reducing corruption, and boosting the sports sector, with the number of players in Jammu & Kashmir rising from less than 2 lakhs to more than 60 lakhs.
