Srinagar, Feb 25: Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday said that the new generation in Kashmir has forgotten the stone pelt-ing.
In an interview with a National Television Channel, Sinha said that the young generation has moved away from stone-pelting, and after 35 years, Muharram processions were allowed again.
He said that while Jammu was never a major challenge, terrorism had shifted its focus to Kashmir. “Our neighboring country was involved in sending infil-trators to create unrest in Jammu, but we are fully prepared to establish peace,” he said, adding that people in Jammu are patriots who will not tolerate terror-ism.
Sinha said that security forces are working with a clear policy: “Don’t touch in-nocents, don’t spare the culprits.” He added that this approach has played a key role in maintaining peace in the UT.
Sinha also said that shutdowns in Kashmir are a thing of the past, and now the focus is on business and development.
He said that security has improved significantly due to the efforts of security forces. “We must completely eliminate the terror ecosystem,” he said.
He also said that 76 government employees had been dismissed for supporting terrorism. He added that such actions were necessary to break the networks that aided terrorism in the past.
Talking about Kashmir’s revival, he said that cultural and tourism activities have resumed. “Bollywood film shoots are back, cinema halls have reopened after 32 years, and foreign tourist arrivals have increased after the successful G20 summit,” he said.
Sinha said that infrastructure development is happening at a fast pace. “Travel between Jammu and Srinagar now takes just four hours. The Zojila Tunnel will be completed by 2026, and the Prime Minister will soon inaugurate railway connectivity and air travel has also improved, with 126 flights operating daily from Srinagar.
Sinha also said that there is no conflict between the Chief Minister and the Lieutenant Governor regarding development. “We are on the same page when it comes to the progress of Jammu and Kashmir,” he added.
He said that J&K’s economic growth has risen by 9.5%, while unnecessary ex-penditures have been reduced. He credited better coordination between securi-ty forces and governance reforms for this progress.
On the issue of statehood, Sinha assured that it is only a matter of time. “The Prime Minister and the Union Home Minister have promised that statehood will be restored,” he said.
Speaking about investments, he said that J&K has seen a massive increase. “From 1947 to 2021, the total investment was only Rs 14,000 crore, but now Rs 33,000 crore worth of industrial projects are underway, with Rs 10,000 crore already functional,” he said.
He added that under the Prime Minister’s Employment Generation Pro-gramme (PMEGP), J&K has been the top-performing region for three years in a row.
Sinha also said that 70% of J&K’s population relies on it. “Around 13 lakh families depend on farming, and the Holistic Agriculture Development Plan (HADP) aims to double farmers’ contribution to J&K’s GDP,” he said.
On the tourism boom, Sinha said that J&K saw 2.36 crore visitors recently. “Many hoteliers who had only one hotel have built a second one in the past four years,” he said. He said that exports of Pashmina and carpets have dou-bled, and Kashmiri horticulture products are now reaching the Middle East.
The LG said that 92,000 projects were completed last year, and elections were held peacefully. “For the first time in 35 years, political campaigns continued until 11 PM,” he said.
Regarding digital progress, he said that most areas in J&K now have internet access. “J&K ranks number one in online services,” he added.
Speaking about governance reforms, Sinha said that efforts to make the sys-tem more transparent and accountable have increased public trust.
He also said J&K Police is different from other forces in the country, and their role in restoring peace has been commendable.
On industrial development, Sinha assured that those who previously struggled to get land for projects will now have access, as a land bank has been created.
Speaking about terrorism in Jammu, Sinha said that it must be eliminated again. “We had wiped it out once, and we will do it again,” he declared, blaming Pakistan for interfering in J&K’s affairs.
Sinha said that improved connectivity and infrastructure have transformed the region. “The projects worth crores being implemented today will change the future of J&K,” he added.
