* Modi inaugurates Uri-II
Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, July 4: Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, today said that the strong armed forces are necessary for an atmosphere of peace, amity, harmony and brotherhood in the country through which India would achieve new heights of development.
The PM while addressing Army jawans and officers at a ‘Sainik Sammelan’ inside the Cantonment said: “The strong armed forces are necessary for an atmosphere of peace, amity, harmony and brotherhood in the country, and this was the foundation on which India would achieve new heights of development.”
Praising the valour and courage of the soldiers, the Prime Minister asserted that self-reliance in defence offset manufacturing was essential for the security of the nation.
Modi said he accorded highest priority to modernization of the defence forces. “Today the world is looking at India with hope, and we could interact on equal terms with all developed countries”, he added.
Prime Minister said the spirit of sacrifice and selflessness of the defence forces was an inspiration for all Indians. “This spirit would ensure them victory at all times. The people of India trusted them and believed that no power on earth could defeat them”, he added.
Modi reiterated his Government`s commitment to building a National War Memorial, in memory of soldiers who had laid down their lives for the motherland.
The Prime Minister said the welfare of the Army men and their families is the concern and collective responsibility of all Indians, and his Government would take all good decisions in the interest of the soldiers.
Modi who arrived in Chinar Army Headquarters in an Air Force helicopter and was briefed about the situation along the LoC and in Kashmir valley by General Officer Commanding (GOC) 15 Corps, Lt Gen Subrata Saha soon after his arrival.
Sources said that the briefing lasted for about half an hour during which Lt General Saha briefed the PM about situation along the LoC and about counter-infiltration grid that over the years has been successful in stopping infiltration of militants from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK).
The PM was also briefed about the security situation in Kashmir valley and the successful operations conducted by the troops over past one year.
Earlier, the Prime Minister paid homage at the martyrs memorial at Badami Bagh Cantonment. He also wrote in the visitors` book at the memorial, and visited the nearby 1200 year old Shiva Temple.
The Prime Minister was accompanied by Jammu and Kashmir Governor N N Vohra, Vice Chief of Army staff Lt General Dalbir Singh Suhag, State Chief Secretary M I Khanday, Director General of Police K Rajendra and top Army officials.
Later Prime Modi inaugurated 240 MW Uri-II Hydro Electric Project here. Addressing a gathering on the occasion, he said the Government has laid stress on environment-friendly energy of which hydro power is an important constituent. He said Jammu and Kashmir has a potential of production of 13-14, 000 MW clean and environment-friendly energy for which he said all the efforts would be channelized.
Modi said Jammu and Kashmir is on the path of development and progress and visualized many big mile stones in coming days.
Prime Minister also announced upgradation of Local Kendraya Vidalya from High School to Higher Secondary School for which admission would be started from the coming session.
Governor, NN Vohra, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Union Minister of State for Power, Piyush Goyal, MLC, GN Monga, Chief Secretary, Iqbal Khanday, DGP, K Rajendra, Principal Secretary Power, AK Mehta, Divisional Commissioner, Shalendra Kumar, IGP, A G Mir, Chief Engineer Power, Deputy Commissioner, Barmaulla Farooq Lone, officers of NHPC, HCC and district administration were present on the occasion.
This is the second power project on the Jhelum river in Uri area and is located downstream of 480-MW Uri-I HEP, which is already operational.
The Uri-II HEP has a concrete gravity dam which is 52-metre high and 157-metre long with four spillways of nine metres each.
The 4.23-km head race tunnel carries water from the dam to the power house, which has four units of 60 MW each designed to generate 1,124 million units of electricity in a year.
The work on the power project was completed in time despite a massive earthquake striking the area on October 8, 2005 – two weeks after Hindustan Construction Company (HCC) started work on it.
“Overcoming challenges has always been a speciality of our engineers. We triumphed over every obstacle posed by difficult geographical conditions and freezing temperatures,” Chief Operating Officer of HCC Ambuj Jain said.
Later, the Prime Minister flew back to Delhi.
And on the occasion of PM’s visit authorities today imposed curfew-like restrictions in old City of Srinagar while a complete shutdown was observed across the Valley in response to a strike called by separatists.
Majority of the separatist leaders including Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Mirwaiz Omar Farooq were under house arrest.
Hundreds of police and paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel were deployed across the Old City areas falling under five police stations including MR Gunj, Khanyar, Nowhatta, Rainawari and Safakadal since morning.
Police and CRPF had erected iron barricades and closed the roads with concertina wire. Armored vehicles were also deployed at various places in Old city.
In uptown and Civil Lines areas of Srinagar, shops, commercial establishments, schools, colleges, banks and petrol pumps were closed. The attendance in Government offices was also thin and traffic was mostly off the roads.
Authorities had deployed extra police and paramilitary personal in the Civil Lines areas to maintain law and order. However, despite strict security measures, protests broke out at various places in the city including Chota Bazar, Balgarden, Maisuma, Barzulla and Kralpora. Shutdown was also observed in other parts of Kashmir valley.
On the first Friday of Islamic month of Ramadhan, the authorities barred people from offering Friday congregational prayers in central Jamia Masjid.
Police and paramilitary personal deployed around Jamia Masjid and no one was allowed to enter the Masjid.
Meanwhile, with the 240 MW Uri-II power plant becoming operational today, Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal today said the electricity generated here would benefit north Indian States, including Jammu and Kashmir, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi.
As Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the project, Goyal tweeted that he was “personally very excited about the project and the positive multiplier effects it will trigger”.
“It will also provide much-needed power to Northern grid, giving relief to the common man in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttrakhand and Chandigarh,” Goyal tweeted.
Congratulating state-run NHPC’s team, Goyal said “the power generated will benefit Jammu and Kashmir immensely and give an impetus to the local economy and create employment for locals”.
Reminiscing his childhood experience of visiting a dam, he tweeted: “My last visit to a dam was in 1979, after my Class X exams, on a trip to Bhakra Nangal Dam with my father, Shri (sic) Vedprakash Goyal.”
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