Srinagar, Feb 27: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha highlighted the significant transformation witnessed in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), stating that it is no longer a place where peace is bought. He emphasized the current government’s commitment to establishing enduring peace rather than engaging in previous practices of purchasing peace.
In a recent interview at the TV9 Bharatvarsh Global Summit in New Delhi, Lt. Governor Sinha elucidated on the measures taken to address disturbances to peace, mentioning the dismissal of 54 government employees with direct links to terror incidents. He underscored the government’s resolve to dismantle the entire terror network and impose stringent consequences on those involved in such activities.
Highlighting the progress made, Lt. Governor Sinha noted a reduction of 75% in terror incidents and the participation of thousands of youths from districts like Shopian and Pulwama in national events, proudly hoisting the Indian flag. He also highlighted the thriving nightlife in Srinagar, indicating increased security and stability in the region.
LG said that earlier, those causing disturbances to peace were engaged in discussions. Those who deserved imprisonment were flown to Delhi via government planes and were summoned from Srinagar to engage in discussions in Delhi.
“Upon assuming the role as Governor, my objective was to ensure that people embraced any forthcoming changes. I must attribute the success in achieving this goal to the policies of the Prime Minister and the Home Minister,” LG said.
Addressing the issue of targeted killings, LG emphasized that “while such incidents have occurred, our focus extends beyond merely eliminating terrorism. Our aim is to dismantle the entire terror network. It is important to note that everyone involved in such acts faces consequences as we take strict actions against them”.
Earlier, people would head home early, but now Srinagar’s nightlife is thriving. Security force deployment has decreased compared to before, the LG said.
LG said that a girl recently met him and thanked for her quick 3-year degree in J&K. Her brother took seven years due to disruptions by Pakistan, causing a 120-day closure of schools and businesses. Now, J&K has stable calendars for study, festivals, and development, marking a positive change.
The LG while continuing on the J&K’s transformation said that stone pelting is a thing of the past in Kashmir; now, Kashmiri youth are seen playing the guitar on the banks of River Jhelum at midnight.
The pedestrian market in Kashmir surpasses even the one in Delhi, resembling the pedestrian markets in Europe. Additionally, Jammu and Kashmir have made significant strides in urban transformation, he said.
The LG said that they have prioritized the tourism industry and implemented a comprehensive agricultural development plan which elevating J&K’s ranking in farmers’ income to fifth in the country from eleventh in the last three years.
“With the HADP in action, we aim to surpass Punjab and Haryana to become the country’s top performer”, he added.
LG said “the private investment in Kashmir has surged from INR 14,000 crore till 2021 to a current proposal of INR 90,000 crore”.
The LG stated that they established services with automatic escalation to imply that if a service isn’t provided within a 15-day deadline, it goes to higher officials. Those officials failing to deliver face administrative consequences and fines. In Jammu and Kashmir, 889 officials faced financial penalties for service delays, he said.
On digitization of land records in J&K the LG said that In J&K, Patwaris used to wield more influence than Collectors because only about 250 individuals were skilled in interpreting land records. Now, these records are entirely digital and accessible in Hindi, English, and Urdu.
The LG said that J&K is witnessing a positive shift where people of all religions in Kashmir now enjoy the freedom to celebrate their festivals.
He added that Jammu and Kashmir was the place where even the President of India could not take an inch of space. An Indian soldier could sacrifice his life to protect Jammu and Kashmir, but could not build even a hut there.
The dynamics have changed, allowing anyone to purchase land in the Kashmir valley, he said, adding that Kashmiri Pandits are experiencing a sense of empowerment, and the region has gained economic strength.
“This is a big transformation. From a social point of view, the work of empowering 100 million people has been accomplished under the leadership of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi,” he added.
He referred to the Kashmiri Pandits saying that the community had been suffering for a long time due to terrorism, and now they are feeling powerful.
The backward classes of society had reservations in jobs, panchayat elections and education in other parts of the country, but not in Jammu and Kashmir, now they are getting all those things, he said.
“Kashmir has changed since the abrogation of Article 370. Peace cannot be bought here now and here flourishes good governance only,” the LG added.
