‘Modi Govt taking J&K forward, delivering on promises’

Sanjeev Pargal    

 J&K people have said ‘No’ to terror, ‘Yes’ to tourism: FM in Rajya Sabha

RS returns bill on UT budget to LS. Jammu and Kashmir’s annual budget for 2021-22 to the tune of Rs 1.08 lakh crore today got the Parliament nod when Rajya Sabha returned the Appropriation Bill after nearly three-hour long discussion followed by reply by Union Minister of State for Finance Anurag Thakur who declared that people in Kashmir have said ‘No’ to terrorism and ‘Yes’ to tourism and that ballots have replaced bullets in the Union Territory with successful conduct of earlier the Block Development Council (BDC) and now District Development Council (DDC) elections.

“Terrorism Ko Naa, Tourism Ko Haan is the new slogan now in Kashmir. The bullets have been replaced by ballots. Vocal for Local is gaining strength,” Thakur said reply to debate on the budget in Rajya Sabha, which later returned the bill to Lok Sabha.

The Appropriation and Finance bills are classified as Money Bills which do not require explicit consent of Rajya Sabha. The Upper House only discusses the bills and returns them. The Lok Sabha has already cleared the J&K’s annual budget.

“Your policies had encouraged terrorism in Kashmir, we encouraged tourism. We ended Articles 370 and 35-A forever,” Anurag said addressing the Opposition members.

“Former Prime Minister late Atal Behari Vajpayee had given package for Jammu and Kashmir and Uttarakhand in December 2002. He took Jammu and Kashmir forward. If anyone thought for Kashmir, it was Vajpayee and now Narendra Modi Government is taking the Union Territory forward,” Thakur said.

Asserting that the Modi Government has started delivering on its promises, the Minister of State for Finance said the incidents of bullets, stones and cross-border infiltration have come down after abrogation of Article 370.

He hit out at the Members who spoke against the Government decision for abrogation of special status of Jammu and Kashmir, saying they don’t visit Jammu and Kashmir.

“I have visited Jammu and Kashmir. I was Incharge of the (District Development Council) elections there. There was 74 percent voter turnout in Panchayat elections in J&K in which 4103 Sarpanchs and 49942 Panchs were elected. Then there was 98.3 percent voting in the BDC polls and 51 percent in the DDC elections, which were free and fare,” Thakur said, adding the Narendra Modi Government has strengthened democracy in Jammu and Kashmir which was confined to three families only.

He announced that Rs 512 crore have been sanctioned for promotion of tourism in Jammu and Kashmir which was more than many States while budget of the Union Territory has also been raised by seven percent for next financial year of 2021-22 as compared to 2020-21.

Revenue and capital expenditure have also been significantly increased by 10 percent and 33 percent respectively.

On 50,000 vacancies in Jammu and Kashmir, Anurag said 22,350 posts have been identified for recruitment while 17,800 youth have been given financial assistance. The figure includes 4000 women. Nearly 7386 persons have been assisted under Rural employment Guarantee Scheme and 2000 under Startup.

On Kashmiri migrants, he said 841 vacancies of the migrants have been filled. A total of 6000 vacancies are available for Kashmir migrants. Apart from this, the migrant families are also getting Rs 13,000 per month relief.

The Minister of State for Finance said Rs 6346 crore have been allocated for `Har Ghar Nal (tap in every house) scheme of the Jal Shakti department. The target has already been achieved in two districts of the Union Territory. Similarly, he added, Rs 4089 crore have been provisioned for roads and bridges. Road network will also be spread in rural areas under Prime Minister’s Grameen Sadak Yojana. Rs five lakh worth family insurance is being given to every household in Jammu and Kashmir, he stated.

Earlier, Syed Nasir Hussain of Congress charged the Government with furnishing “wrong data” about Jammu and Kashmir after abrogation of Article 370.

“They (the Government) say there was no development and only poverty in Jammu and Kashmir for last 70 years. But, J&K was major destinations for tourists. All figures being given are wrong,” Nasir said and called upon the Government to give details of works carried out in J&K during last two years.

The Congress Rajya Sabha member claimed that five lakh persons connected with tourism have lost jobs in Jammu and Kashmir while unemployment rate has gone up from 16 percent to 21.9 percent.

Sanjay Seth of the BJP said Jammu and Kashmir will become Atmanirbhar under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Manoj Kumar Jha of RJD, addressing the members, said: “Your silence can bring your State’s Appropriation Bill in the Parliament next time”. He was referring to conversion of Jammu and Kashmir State into the Union Territory.

Several other Rajya Sabha members took part in the debate.

DISCLAIMER: 

The views expressed in the Article above are Author’s personal views and kashmiribhatta.in is not in any way responsible for the opinions expressed in the above article.                                                    

Courtesy: The Daily Excelsior: 24th March, 2021