STATE TIMES NEWS
UDHAMPUR: During intensive campaigning at the upper reaches of Bakkal, Lalli Dabbar, Mantalai, Ladden and Majalta in Reasi, Chenani, Udhampur and Ramnagar Assembly constituencies on Saturday, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh said that BJP is committed to ensure development of remote hill areas.
Recalling that it was the then BJP led NDA Government under Atal Behari Vajpayee, which had created the Ministry for the Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER) of which he is presently in-charge, Dr. Jitendra Singh said that during the last six months of Narendra Modi led BJP government, several new schemes were approved for hill States like Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.
“The BJP leadership, hailing from the grassroots, is capable of sensitively responding to the aspirations of people living in the hilly terrains which is quite in contrast to the record of several decades of Congress-National Conference regime in the State”, he added.
He claimed that ever since he was elected as Member of Parliament from this area six months ago, he has initiated a number of projects including tunnels, roads, tourist circuits and new educational institutions in the remote hilly areas of his constituency. He could not elaborate about all this work owing to the constraints of Model Code of Conduct but, he said, “The results will be visible very soon. The road construction started under PGYM during Vajpayee regime had come to stand still but has been resumed after the taking over of the new government”.
“It is a matter of shame”, said Singh adding that even after 66 years of independence, the rural areas of this region have not been provided with basic amenities like water, electricity and medical aid. “A vote for BJP and a BJP led government in the State will be able to coordinate with the BJP led government at the Centre and herald a new era of progress and prosperity for this region”, he added.
