Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office, Jitendra Singh on Sunday said Jammu was no longer being ignored on the development front.
Addressing a rally via video conference, Singh said as far as developmental works were concerned, it was often alleged that everything was being given to Kashmir while Jammu was being ignored.
“Go through the data of the past one year and you will get to know that Jammu got equal share in development. Instead, wherever required, Jammu was allocated more (funds),” he said.
In PMGSY, the Minister said of Rs 2500 crore sanctioned for J&K, Rs 1500 core were sanctioned for Jammu.
He said Director for AIIMS-Jammu will be appointed shortly while work for establishment of the prestigious health institution has already started in Jammu. In Kashmir, the Minister said work on the AIIMS was yet to be start.
He said those questioning BJP should be asked why the work has not been taken up on the AIIMS in Kashmir.
“Two Bio-Tech parks were sanctioned by the centre. While the park in Jammu will start functioning soon, the work on Kashmir park is yet to be started,” he said.
He said Jammu will also see foreign investment in IIIM, in collaboration with Canada
Singh said Article 370 has gone and it will never return. “Forget the habit of looking at Jammu through the prism of Kashmir. Look at Jammu from the mirror of Jammu and then, you will realize that from the last one year, change in Jammu has become a symbol of a hope,” he said.
Attacking Congress he said the party had failed to give citizenship rights to West Pakistani Refugees in the last 70 years.
He also questioned the silence of National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party while referring to Self Rule and Autonomy.
“Those who had advocated Self Rule and Autonomy in J&K had miserably failed to empower Panchayati members,” he said.
Condemning the killing of Sarpanch Ajay Bharti, he said BJP has supported Kashmiri Pandits since 1990 when they were “compelled to leave the Valley.”