Significant boost in road, rail connectivity unlocked J&K’s potential: Lt Governor

Jammu, Nov 20: Asserting that significant boost in road and rail connectivity in the last five years has unlocked Jammu and Kashmir’s immense potential, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Thursday praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for accelerating reforms and revolutionizing country’s digital integration.
Speaking at the Jammu Trade and Logistics Conclave-2025, organised by Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) here, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said, “National Logistics Policy, under the guidance of PM Modi, has accelerated reforms in the logistics ecosystem and revolutionized digital integration, skill development and infrastructure planning.”
Stating that Jammu is rapidly emerging as trade and logistics hub connecting Ladakh and Kashmir with country’s trade corridors the Lieutenant Governor said that enhanced road and rail connectivity has unlocked the immense potential of the Union Territory.
He said that storage, multimodal connectivity, logistics capability, and last-mile connectivity have ensured that remote areas remain connected to the mainstream of development. “Penetration of e-commerce and the growing retail sector is also playing a significant role in expanding the footprint of the warehousing and logistics sector. Jammu Kashmir Union Territory is a living example of this extraordinary transformation,” the Lieutenant Governor added.
He called for fulfilling developmental needs of Jammu Kashmir through smart logistics infrastructure and improved logistics operations. “A robust storage, logistics and warehouse ecosystem is the need of the hour to propel our economy towards self-reliance, directly link the producers to consumers and to fulfil the aspiration of our traders, industrialists, farmers, artisans and MSMEs,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
He also shared key initiatives aimed at making the J&K UT a more competitive and investment-ready destination.
“Jammu & Kashmir Logistics Policy 2025 will be unveiled soon. The new policy intervention will introduce a comprehensive framework focusing on multimodal connectivity, development of dry ports and warehousing zones, and promotion of private sector participation. It will also grant the Logistic sector the industry status, ensuring that it receives all the benefits of industrial policy,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
He observed that, under the PM GatiShakti National Master Plan (PMGS-NMP), 49 major logistics and connectivity projects worth Rs 3,000 crore have already been mapped, supporting real-time coordination and faster execution. He said the integrated planning approach is helping J&K identify logistics gaps, improve last-mile connectivity to industrial estates, optimize freight movement, and significantly reduce logistics costs and transit times.
The Lieutenant Governor said that a Multi-Modal Logistics Park (MMLP) in Vijaypur, Jammu, will be developed through a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, under a Build-Develop-Finance-Operate-Transfer (DBFOT) approach.
The park will offer modern facilities such as Inland Container Depot (ICD), Warehousing, Cold Storage, Truck Terminal and Container Freight Station aimed at boosting trade and logistic efficiency.
Vikramjit Singh, Commissioner Secretary Industries & Commerce Department; Rahul Sahai, Chairman, ICC Jammu Chapter; Debmalya Banerjee, Regional Director, Indian Chamber of Commerce; Vishesh Paul Mahajan, Transport Commissioner J&K; business leaders, members of Indian Chamber of Commerce, representatives of various trade and business organisations and senior officials were also present on the occasion. (KNO)