Centre initiates several projects in Valley, Infra development, Income Tax Appellate Tribunal, IT Export products, Women Post Office
Srinagar/Jammu Tawi, Jan 22
Four Union ministers visiting Kashmir as part Centre's outreach programme on Wednesday promised a new era in the Valley, which would also mark the return of Bollywood, tourism and employment.
The ministers inaugurated various developmental projects and addressed gatherings in Srinagar, Budgam and Ganderbal district.
Union ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, Nityanand Rai, GK Reddy and Sanjay Dhotre met people at different places reiterating that the Valley should shun all negativity of the past and look forward to a new new sunrise under Narendra Modi government that would bring happiness to all residents here.
The Minister for Communications, Electronics and Information Technology and Law & Justice, Ravi Shankar Prasad who visited Baramullah under the Centre' public interaction with the color today said Government will setup every required infrastructure for development and export of IT products from J&K UT.
He said this after inaugurating the incubation facility at Srinagar Technology Parks of India Srinagar.
“The incubation facility will provide opportunities to IT entrepreneurs by providing plug-n-play and other digital infrastructure along with regulatory support to develop and export IT products from the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
Later the Minister had a tour of the STPI complex where officials informed him about the various facilities provided by the center for software entrepreneurs of J&K.
He also interacted with young entrepreneurs and IT experts of some software companies who are using the space and other facilities of the STPI for development and export of their softwares for the outside market.
The additional facility of about 24,000 sqft will meet the growing demand of IT/ITES MSMEs of the region.
The officials informed the Minister that J&K has three STP units; employing around 140 resources are registered with STPI. They added that for financial year of 2019-20, estimated exports from these units are expected to be around Rs 6.76 crore.
Ravi Shankar Prasad later inaugurated an ‘All Women Post Office' in Srinagar.
“The initiative of opening of All Women Post Office is to encourage and empower the women of our country,” he added.
During the programme, the Minister stated that Circuit Bench of Income Tax Appellate Tribunal will be started soon in Srinagar, besides 350 lawyers of JK will become notary soon.
He also inaugurated parcel hub Srinagar which will be gateway for incoming and outgoing of parcels -a key milestone in a Post's transformation from an old world of letters to new world of an e-commerce logistics.
While praising BSNL services in JK, Prasad said that BSNL is strategic asset of the country. He stressed upon the officials of BSNL to expedite the process of connecting 3,500 villages with the rest of the country.
The Minister also launched the Annual Unlimited Voice Calling @1099 for J&K BSNL landline customers which provides free calling on every BSNL number.
MoS HRD, Communications, Electronics & IT Sanjay Dhotre visited Kalakote and Naushera, Rajauri district.
Information technology minister Prasad inaugurated an all-women post office here and promised to provide high-speed fibre optic internet services to over 3,500 villages of the newly formed UT of J&K.
“The youth of Kashmir are restless and want change… I see a new dream in their eyes. I am seeing a new dawn here and warmth of new sunrise in Kashmir would bring happiness on all the faces here,” he added.
The minister also inaugurated a new BSNL voice plan, saying the company is a strategic asset of the country. Prasad is staying in Kashmir overnight and will be joined by two more ministers on Thursday.
Minister for Minority Affairs Naqvi who even ventured out into the flea market in the morning in the civil lines area and interacted with the vendors, who complained about government apathy. “We are here to spread positivity among the people and create an environment of change,” Naqvi said.
Union minister of state for HRD, communications, and electronics & IT Sanjay Dhotre visited Kalakote and Naushera, Rajauri district.
He said one of the objective of his visit was to discuss government's developmental schemes.
Minister of state for home Reddy addressed a gathering at mini-secretariat in Ganderbal. He said the people in Kashmir should assist the government in implementing the developmental project. He inaugurated eight developmental projects costing around Rs 21 crore. “Our government is committed to peace and development in Kashmir and soon Bollywood stars Shahrukh Khan and Amitabh Bachhan would be seen here,” said Reddy..
MoS for home Rai addressed a gathering in Sheikhpora, Budgam district, where he said secularism was the unique strength of the country and the citizens have responsibility to strengthen it.
The Minister distributed pension cards among the widows and downtrodden under Prime Minister's Pension Yojana.
He said that the Union government has come up with the concept of Golden Card through which deserving segments of the society can afford the treatment of upto Rs 5 lakh. He said so far 3.5 lakh families have received this card in J&K.
In BUDGAM, the Union Minister of State for Home, Nityanand Rai too reiterated that development of J&K is priority for the central government.
Addressing a large public gathering at Sheikhpora Budgam, the Minister said that special focus shall be given on industrialization in the newly carved Union Territory to open up new employment generation avenues for the local youth. Besides, he said, special focus shall also be given on the improvement of education sector in JK. The Minister said that people of J&K will be provided access and development at par with other states of the country.
