Ministers to tour Ladakh too under Vibrant Villages Prog
*Will submit report to MHA on return to New Delhi
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Oct 9: The Government of India has asked the Union Ministers to resume Public Outreach Programme in Jammu and Kashmir which was halted in May-June this year after onset of tourist season and annual pilgrimage of Shri Amarnath Ji, by visiting different districts and holding interactions with the public.
The Public Outreach will, however, be for a brief period as the Ministers will later become busy with Assembly elections in five States, the schedule for which was announced today by the Election Commission of India.
“During April-May, a number of Union Ministers visited Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh UTs. Later, because of preoccupation of J&K UT administration with tourist season and Shri Amarnath Ji pilgrimage, the Public Outreach Programme was halted. Now, the Union Ministers who couldn’t visit J&K then have been asked to undertake tour to different districts,” the officials said.
As per them, the Public Outreach will be for a brief period as the Ministers will later have to campaign in five States where Assembly elections are due but some of the Ministers will continue to visit Jammu and Kashmir.
At the same time, few Ministers are also scheduled to visit the Union Territory of Ladakh in connection with the ‘Vibrant Villages Programme’ to stay for the night at the villages located close to Line of Actual Control (LAC) with Ladakh.
This is almost fourth phase of `Public Outreach Programme’ in Jammu and Kashmir. The first phase was undertaken after August 5, 2019 decisions of the Central Government revoking special status of erstwhile State and bifurcating it into two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh.
“The Public Outreach Programme by the Union Ministers to Jammu and Kashmir is an ongoing process and will continue. When all Ministers complete their schedule, it will resume once again. It is being carried out on the pattern of North East,” the officials said.
They added that the proposed visits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Union Minister of Road Transport and National Highways Nitin Gadkari besides Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) national president Jagat Prakash Nadda are not linked to Public Outreach.
After visiting Jammu and Kashmir, the Union Ministers will submit their reports to the Union Ministry of Home Affairs.
“Most of the Ministers are being asked to visit the districts other than Jammu and Srinagar,” they said, adding this will help the people to raise their issues before the Ministers for addressing them.
The Ministers on their return to New Delhi after visiting different parts of the Union Territory during three phases of Public outreach had submitted reports to the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Prime Minister’s Office. The Public Outreach Programme was first started in 2020. The MHA and PMO had forwarded issues raised by the people and pointed out by the Union Ministers in their reports to the Jammu and Kashmir for addressing them.
“Some of the issues which pertained to the Central Ministries were addressed by the Government of India while rest were referred to the J&K Government and were sorted out,” sources said.
In 2020, 36 Central Ministers had visited the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir from January 18-24 and toured several far off areas as well. In 2021, nearly 70 Ministers were part of the Public Outreach Programme in September and October. Similar process was repeated in 2022
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