Srinagar, Mar 7: In his first visit to Kashmir after abrogation of Article 370, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will unveil multiple development projects worth more than Rs 6,400 crore and address a public meeting in Srinagar on Thursday.
Stringent security arrangements have been put in place to ensure an incident-free visit as Bakshi Stadium, the venue of the prime minister's rally,? has been draped in tricolour, officials said.
Modi will attend the ‘Viksit Bharat Viksit Jammu Kashmir' programme at the stadium in Srinagar and inaugurate initiatives worth nearly Rs 5,000 crore for boosting the agri-economy in the Union Territory, according to an official statement.
With the Lok Sabha elections around the corner and opposition parties seeking an announcement on assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir, the prime minister's scheduled visit has acquired a keen political dimension in terms of what he might have to say on the issue.
The BJP-led Centre abrogated the provisions of Article 370 on August 5, 2019 and bifurcated the erstwhile state into the Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
In Srinagar, several schools falling along the route to be taken by the prime minister have been closed for Wednesday and Thursday while board examinations scheduled to be held on Thursday have been postponed till next month.
The people of the Valley are expecting gifts of peace, prosperity and much more from the Prime Minister.
People from Uri border town, Baramulla town, Kupwara, Handwara, Lolab, Tangmarg, Bandipora, Kangan, Ganderbal, Kokernag, Achabal, Pahalgam, Khansahib, Beerwah, Chadoora, Anantnag, Shopian, Pulwama and over two dozen other places are reaching here on buses and private vehicles to get a glimpse of the Prime Minister.
Businessmen, academicians, transporters, houseboat owners, Shikarawallahs, farmers, orchardists, government employees, small industrial unit entrepreneurs, and hoteliers, everybody is expecting gifts from the Prime Minister.
“We are expecting Prime Minister Modi to help us live a better life… Kashmir now expects big from the big man,” said Sajad Ahmad, 47, who runs a retail shop in Srinagar city.
The majority of people attending the Prime Minister's public rally are hopeful to return home with some good news that touches their lives directly.
Shakeel Lone, 38, from Uri border town is mainly concerned about peace in the areas close to the line of control (LoC) as he lives in one such area. “Peace on the border is my first priority. My family, my home and everything else I own is dependent on peace and normalcy on the LoC. And, Prime Minister Modi is the man who can ensure the safety of my family.”
“I want to see the Prime Minister in person while he speaks of his vision for the people of Kashmir,” he said.
People working in the hospitality sector like hotels, taxi operators, houseboat owners and guest house owners are upbeat after hearing that the Prime Minister is going to announce a package for the tourism industry.
“We are 63,000 families across J&K. We have given the best years of our lives to the department. All previous governments promised to regularise our services, but none have done that so far… I have come to see the Prime Minister do something positive for us. ‘Modi Hai To Mumkin Hai',” he said.
“We have all our hopes pinned on him,” Imran said as he narrated his story of how difficult it is to send two children to school and keep the wolf away from his door at just Rs 9,000 a month.
Security in and around the Bakshi Stadium has been tightened while ensuring smooth passage of the people.
Police have declared the city a ‘Temporary Red Zone' today to ensure that no private drone or Quadcopter is seen in the sky during the VVIP visit.
A multi-tier security ring is in place to provide foolproof security to the Prime Minister and the people attending the public rally.
