Every initiative in JK aimed at ensuring equitable, fair growth: Lt Governor

Ghazipur, Dec 24: Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha Friday addressed the Utthan Foundation Trust’s conference at Ghazipur.
Speaking on the occasion, the Lt Governor emphasized that after 2014 country ushered in a growth process that is inclusive, caring, and equitable to all sections of society.
“The development march in the last seven and half years is not confined to a few but of all. Under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi the country is witnessing a growth process that is inclusive, equitable. Unprecedented steps have been taken to develop infrastructure, revive manufacturing and agriculture, and every step has a single objective- accelerated and equitable growth,” Lt Governor said.
“Hon’ble Prime Minister has economically and socially empowered marginalised sections that were neglected for decades. Policies of ‘Make in India’, ‘Aatm Nirbahr Bharat’ and concerted effort to make the country an economic superpower have ensured that India stands tall at the global stage,” Lt Governor further said.
The Lt Governor said the poor and weaker sections of society were neglected for many years in J&K but on the historic day of 5 August 2019, Article 370 and Article 31A were abolished and the citizens of Jammu & Kashmir were given all the Constitutional rights.
“In J&K we have charted a new development path after August 2019. For decades, infrastructure was in tatters despite huge amount of money sent by the centre. The non-development agenda of seven decades in J&K mired the UT in a low growth syndrome. Under the guidance of Hon’ble Prime Minister J&K is witnessing a new dawn. Tribals are getting land rights, 11,000 government jobs have been provided within record time with complete transparency and major steps have been taken to ensure the empowerment of women, marginalized and weaker groups,” Lt Governor said.
Even today, projects pending since 1980 are being completed. Earlier, 2000 km of road was built, now 5000 km of road is being built. We have completed record 21,943 projects within a year. In Jammu and Kashmir, only 3500 MW of electricity was generated in 72 years, now we are initiating projects to generate double the power in just 5 years. Under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, more than 24,000 houses have been completed in less than two years, whereas 3,500 houses were built in Jammu and Kashmir till March 2018. Even before 2022, the income of farmers has doubled in J&K, the Lt Governor said.
We have also succeeded in destroying the ecosystem of terrorism and today stone pelting has become a thing of past, he added.
Highlighting the empowerment of all sections on the national level, Lt Governor said around 15 crore houses in the country were without piped water supply. Hon’ble Prime Minister initiated the ambitious program ‘Har Ghar Nal se Jal’ and by August next year, every household will be connected with tap water.
Ujjwala Yojana has brought about real change for women empowerment and 11 crore LPG connections were provided under the scheme, said the Lt Governor.
In just one year, 5 crore 23 lakh households have been linked with employment ventures, and within a year, financial assistance of around Rs 3 lakh 55 thousand crore provided to the youth of the villages to start their business. In the coming days, the central government is going to spend Rs 25 lakh crore to strengthen the rural economy, he added.
The Lt Governor also spoke on how various government-run schemes made a huge impact on the lives of the people.
About Rs 1 lakh 70 thousand crore has been saved because of transparency in the system of implementation of schemes and by eliminating middlemen, he added.
Highlighting the achievements made under various schemes, the Lt Governor said that from providing homes to 4 crore poor to opening up Jan-Dhan bank accounts of 44 crore such people, besides free treatment facility up to Rs 5 lakh to 50 crore people, insurance cover to 24 crore people, free electricity connection to more than 2.5 crore people, dedicated focus is being given for the upliftment of the marginalised section of the society.
No one could have imagined that 85% farmers of the country, who have small pieces of land, would become the priority of the government. An amount of Rs 1.5 lakh crore has been deposited in the bank accounts of more than 12 crore farmer families since December 2018 under the Pradhan Mantri Kisan Samman Nidhi, the Lt Governor said.
Under the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana, about 5 thousand crore rupees have been directly transferred by the government to 1 crore 20 lakh women of the country in their bank accounts. Mudra Yojana has proved to be a boon to more than 5 crore 54 lakh new entrepreneurs.
As on date, 1 lakh 47 thousand crore rupees deposited in the bank accounts of these poor people. Not only this, 2 crore houses have also been built for the poor living in the cities, the Lt Governor observed.
Today, more than 129 crore people in the country have Aadhar card and about 60 crore people have RUPAY card. About 450 schemes of the government have been linked to DBT using JAM (i.e. Jan Dhan-Aadhaar-Mobile) trinity.
The budget for road construction for good infrastructure for border security was about Rs 23,000 crore in 2008 to 2014 but from 2014 to 2020, it has been substantially increased to Rs 44,600 crore, he added.
Despite the crisis of Covid pandemic, financial assistance was extended to crores of people under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojana.
Now, street vendor, hawkers are getting loans from the bank. Shram cards are being made for the first time in history for the social security of poor workers. In the future by making 40 crore e-shram cards, the potential of laborers will be directly linked to the future of strong and aatm-nirbhar India, he said.
The Lt Governor, while informing about the future endeavors of the government said that emphasis is being given on developing more connectivity, new highways, new waterways, new airways.
Over Rs 110 lakh crore will be invested in the next five years on modern infrastructure, he added.
The reforms introduced and the work that has been done so far in the last seven & a half years is historic and we are ready to deal with the new challenges of the modern world, the Lt Governor said.
Members of Utthan Foundation Trust and people from all walks of life were present on the occasion.