STATE TIMES NEWS

Jammu: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate or lay the foundation of 209 projects worth over Rs 3,161 crore in Jammu and Kashmir on February 20, the Union Territory administration said on Friday.
These projects will upgrade infrastructure, strengthen service delivery systems, general employment opportunities and spur progress and prosperity in the Union territory.
The Prime Minister will inaugurate 85 projects and lay the foundation of 124 projects at an event at the M A Stadium in Jammu at 11 am on February 20.
Modi is also scheduled to address a public rally, his second in the region after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019. Earlier on April 24, 2022, he had addressed a rally in Palli Panchayat in Samba district.
The Union Territory administration published a full-page advertisement in some leading newspapers on the event, carrying the pictures of both Modi and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha with a captain “Viksit Bharat Viksit Jammu Kashmir Aman aur Tarakki ki Nai Tasveer” (a new phase of peace and progress).
The prime minister will inaugurate seven grid stations, three receiving stations and three transmission line projects in Jammu, Pulwama, Baramulla, Srinagar, Budgam, Ramban and Samba districts, 12 road projects and three bridges completed at a cumulative cost of Rs 184.19 crore.
He will also inaugurate five common effluent treatment plants in Samba, an intelligent traffic management system in Srinagar city, modernisation of Narwal fruit mandi in Jammu, sewage treatment plants, transit accommodation 244 flats for Kashmiri migrants at two locations in Ganderbal and Kupwara in Kashmir Valley, drug testing laboratory in Kathua, and degree college buildings infrastructure at Mahanpur (Kathua), Neeli Nallah (Udhampur), Sunderbani (Rajouri) and Kokernag (Anantnag), among others.
The Prime Minister will lay the foundation of 124 projects, including development of nine new industrial estates spread over 2210 kanals with large investment and employment opportunities, and 2,816 flats for Kashmiri migrants at nine locations in Anantnag, Kulgam, Kupwara, Shopian and Pulwama districts, according to the advertisement.
The prime minister will lay the foundation stone of data centre, disaster recovery centre for integrated command and control centre for Jammu smart city, upgradation/revamping of transport nagar at Parimpora in Srinagar, and construction and upgradation of 62 road projects and 42 bridges at a cost of Rs 891.53 crore.

Cong used to call Lord Ram imaginary, are chanting ‘Jai Siya Ram’ now: PM

Rewari (Haryana): Prime Minister Narendra Modi flayed the Congress on Friday over its stand on the Ram temple in Ayodhya, saying those who used to call Lord Ram imaginary and did not want a temple to be constructed are also chanting ‘Jai Siya Ram’ now.
Addressing a public gathering after he laid the foundation of an All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and inaugurated several projects in Rewari in Haryana, he said India has touched new heights in the world today and that it has been possible because of people’s blessings.
Referring to his visit to the UAE and Qatar this week, he said the respect that India now gets from every corner is not of Modi alone, but of every Indian.
Targeting the opposition Congress, Modi said those who used to call Lord Ram imaginary and did not want a temple to be built in Ayodhya are also chanting ‘Jai Siya Ram’ now.
For decades, the Congress had created obstacles in the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution, which accorded special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir. He said he had given a guarantee and fulfilled it by scrapping Article 370. 
Modi said his first event after the BJP declared him as its prime ministerial candidate in the run-up to the 2014 general elections was in Rewari in September 2013. “As prime ministerial candidate, I had given some guarantees.” The country wanted a grand Ram temple in Ayodhya and it has been fulfilled, he said.
Modi said people are now saying that since he has come to Rewari again, the BJP-led NDA will win more than 400 seats this time — ‘Abki Baar NDA Sarkar 400 Paar’ — with people’s blessings.
Seats are important in a democracy, “but for me people’s blessings are the biggest asset”, he added.
Meanwhile, virtually addressing an event, the Prime Minister hit out at the Congress, the Prime Minister said that everyone is leaving the party as it is trapped in the vicious circle of nepotism and dynastic politics.
He said the Congress’ sole agenda is to “oppose Modi” and the party does the opposite of what he does, even if it leads to a loss for the country.
The prime minister was virtually addressing an event, ‘Viksit Bharat, Viksit Rajasthan’, in Jaipur. He also laid the foundation stones of projects worth about Rs 17,000 crore and inaugurated various development works.
“The Congress has only one agenda — oppose Modi. They spread such things against Modi which can divide society. This is what happens to a party when it gets trapped in the vicious cycle of dynastic politics. Today, everyone is leaving the Congress and only one family is seen there,” Modi said.
A big problem with the Congress is that it lacks the farsightedness to frame positive policies. Neither can the Congress foresee the future nor does it have any road map for it, he said.
“When Modi fulfils his guarantees, some people lose sleep. You are looking at the situation of the Congress, you have recently taught a lesson to the Congress but it does not accept it,” he said, referring to the Rajasthan assembly election results.
Modi said the more someone abuses him, the more the Congress embraces him.
“They do not even take the name of ‘Viksit Bharat’ because Modi is working for it, they avoid ‘Make in India’ because Modi promotes it, they do not speak about ‘Vocal for Local’ because Modi insists on it.
“When India became the fifth-largest economic power, the whole country was happy but the Congress people were not happy. When Modi says that India will become number three in the world in the next term, the whole country is filled with confidence but the Congress people find disappointment in this too,” he said.
Whatever Modi says and does, the prime minister said, the Congress says and does the opposite, “even if it means a huge loss for the country”.
Such politics does not inspire young India at all, he said.
During the Congress era, Modi said, the entire country faced darkness due to the shortage of electricity.
“Even if electricity came, it came for a short period of time. Crores of houses did not have (electricity) connections. No country can develop without electricity,” he said. It would have taken decades to solve this problem at the speed at which the Congress was working, he said.
“After coming to power, we focused on getting the country out of this power shortage. We made policies and took decisions and laid emphasis on the new sector of solar energy,” he said. Modi said the situation has completely changed today and India has become one of the leading countries in the world in terms of generating electricity from solar energy. “The (BJP’s) double-engine government is working rapidly to make Rajasthan self-reliant in electricity production,” he said.
Modi reiterated that the NDA will cross the 400-mark in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. During the Congress rule 10 years ago, people used to discuss big scams and terrorist attacks and were worried about their lives and jobs. However, people are dreaming big today, he said.
Referring to his recent visit to the UAE, the prime minister said he met the top leaders of the country and Qatar who were surprised by the progress taking place in India. “Today, they also believe that a huge country like India can dream big. Not only can it dream but also achieve (those dreams),” he said.
Modi said ‘Viksit Bharat’ is not just words or a sentiment. It is a campaign to enrich every family, eradicate poverty, generate employment and create modern facilities in the country.
Fast development of important facilities like rail, road, electricity and water is necessary for growth, he underlined.
“When these facilities are developed, farmers and cattle herders will benefit, industries will come up, tourism will increase, investment will come and jobs will be created. “When roads are built, railway lines are laid, houses for the poor are built, water and gas pipelines are laid, employment increases in the construction sector,” he said. To make India a developed country, the prime minister said, the government is strengthening four sections — the youth, women, farmers and the poor.
“For us, these are the four biggest castes,” he said.
Before addressing the programme, Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of multiple development projects worth over Rs 17,000 crore catering to different sectors, including roads, railways, solar energy, power transmission, drinking water, and petroleum and natural gas.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma also addressed the programme here.
The programme was live-streamed at around 200 places across the state and was attended by ministers, MPs, MLAs and other public representatives.