PMDP has started unfolding, Connectivity Plan formulated
Srinagar: Mehbooba Mufti said the execution of Rs. 80, 000 crore Prime Minister’s Development Package has started unfolding in the State. She said the State Government has formulated an ambitious connectivity plan under which not only the State would be connected to rest of the country through improved road networks but all the regions of the State would also be connected with each other with more roads and tunnels.
“Recently the Prime Minister inaugurated Chennai-Nashri tunnel on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway and with the completion of another tunnel at Qazigund the distance on the highway would greatly decrease thus ensuring State’s improved connectivity with rest of the country”, she said. She added that preliminary work on constructing tunnels on Zojila more, Mughal road, Vailoo road and Chattergala on Bani-Bhaderwah road has been started by the Centre and the State Government is also pushing for tunnels at Rajdhani pass on Gurez road and Sadhna top on Karnah road to improve people’s movement across regions in the State.
On the development front, the Chief Minister said work is apace on all the five medical colleges in the State. Also, she said, many nursing colleges are under construction which on completion would be a landmark in the history of medical education in the State. She said with the operationalisation of engineering colleges at Safapora and Kathua, two colleges of Architecture and many other polytechnics, which she founded recently in the State, the State would produce a new generation of skilled youth who won’t be having any problems in getting jobs.
Mehbooba Mufti said as she had promised the State Government got Srinagar and Jammu cities included in the list to be developed as Smart cities with all the modern facilities of future urban life. Keeping in view the ravages of floods of 2014, she said, the State Government has launched a Flood Management project under which dredging in Jhelum and other flood protection works are being undertaken expeditiously.
To address the traffic problem in the two capital cities and improve their road networks, Mehbooba Mufti said her Government has formulated two ambitious semi ring road projects on which the land acquisition process is in full swing and are expected to be started this year only.
She said important initiatives have been taken by her Government in sector like horticulture, handicrafts and tourism which are expected to rejuvenate them. “My Government has started a helicopter service to far flung and cut off areas to give relief to the people of these areas,” she said in her address.
Seeking support and cooperation of people in fulfilling the developmental dreams for the State, the Chief Minister said peace and people’s support are the two crucial components without which the developmental objective cannot be achieved. She in particular credited youth for their contribution in maintaining peace in the State saying with further improvement on this count the developmental process in the State would take a bigger push, tourism would pick up which consequently would lead to more jobs and thus realizing the dreams of our youth.
