Modi to sound poll bugle from Vijaypur
Centre to release huge funds under PMDP
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Jan 29: At least five Union Ministers and three top BJP leaders from New Delhi will accompany Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his high-profile day-long visit to all three regions of Jammu and Kashmir as Modi will sound election bugle for Parliamentary elections in the State by addressing mammoth BJP rally in Vijaypur on February 3.
Significantly, out of Rs 44,000 crore worth projects, which will be either inaugurated or whose foundation stone will be laid by the Prime Minister in the State, Rs 35,000 crore worth projects belonged to Jammu region, the core constituency of the BJP, which had given the party both Lok Sabha seats and 25 out of 37 Assembly seats in 2014 elections.
Sources told the Excelsior that Union Health and Medical Education Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda, Human Resources Development Minister Prakash Javadekar, Road and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, Power Minister RK Singh and Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Dr Jitendra Singh would accompany the Prime Minister from New Delhi during his day long visit.
BJP general secretary (Organizations) Ram Lal, party’s pointman on Jammu and Kashmir and another general secretary, Incharge Jammu and Kashmir, Ram Madhav and Avinash Rai Khanna would join the Prime Minister at his Vijaypur rally. They were expected to reach Jammu a day ahead of the arrival of Modi. However, sources said, Ram Lal might miss the rally if he is not fully well by that time.
“Four Union Ministers would join the rally as projects to be inaugurated by the Prime Minister or whose foundation stone is being laid by him, belonged to their Ministries while fifth Union Minister (Dr Jitendra Singh) would join Modi as majority of projects fall in his Udhampur-Doda Parliamentary constituency.
The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Vijaypur, in Samba district, whose foundation stone will be laid by the Prime Minister, belonged to the Health and Medical Education Ministry of Jagat Prakash Nadda though it will be constructed under the Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMPD). Rattle power project in Kishtwar, whose foundation stone will also be laid, belonged to the Power Ministry of RK Singh. IIT and IIM fall under the Ministry of Human Resources Development, headed by Prakash Javadekar while Jammu-Akhnoor-Rajouri-Poonch National Highway, Sudh Mahadev-Pul Doda Highway and Indri-Pattan-Pargwal bridge, fall under the purview of Road and Surface Transport Ministry of Nitin Gadkari.
Majority of projects, whose foundation stone will be laid by the Prime Minister, including Shahpur Kandi, Ujh, Devika Rejuvenation Plan, Rattle power project and Sudh Mahadev-Kishtwar National Highway fall under the Parliamentary constituency of Dr Jitendra Singh.
According to sources, majority of major projects, whose foundation stone is being laid by Modi or which will be inaugurated, fall in Jammu region and their cost was estimated around Rs 35,000 crore out of a total of Rs 44,000 crore projects, which will be started during the Prime Minister’s visit on February 3.
In Leh, Modi is expected to lay foundation stone of Ladakh University and expansion of Leh Airport. In Srinagar also, he will inaugurate projects and lay foundation stone of others, apart from addressing newly elected Sarpanchs and Panchs at Sher-i-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC).
Following the visit of the Prime Minister, the Central Government is likely to release handsome amount under the PMDP in both Central and State sectors for ongoing projects under the Plan for upcoming financial year of 2019-20 to give boost to development in the State.
Modi had announced Rs 80,000 crore worth PMDP for Jammu and Kashmir on November 7, 2015. However, due to delay in execution of some of the projects, leading to their cost escalation, total cost of the PMDP has touched Rs one lakh crores, sources pointed out.
They said cutting across party affiliations, the Pahari leaders from almost all parties in the State were likely to meet the Prime Minister and convey their gratitude to him for grant of 3 percent reservation to the Paharis, which was long pending demand of the Pahari people but was conceded only during the Governor’s rule.
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