Early Times Report
RS PURA, Sept 17: Senior BJP leader and former Sarpanch Adv Devraj Sharma today led a special Diya lighting programme at Miran Sahib to mark the birthday of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, describing the occasion as an opportunity to recall what he termed 25 years of dedicated public service and to reaffirm the commitment to Seva, Sushasan and Jan Kalyan. The programme formed part of the BJP's wider Seva Sankalp Abhiyan being observed across Jammu and Kashmir, with diya-lighting and other service-oriented activities planned across the Union Territory.
Addressing those present, Devraj Sharma said Prime Minister Modi's public journey-from becoming Chief Minister of Gujarat in 2001 to serving as Prime Minister since 2014-represented a long period of political and administrative responsibility. He highlighted initiatives associated with the Modi Government, including Jan Dhan Yojana, Swachh Bharat Mission, Digital India, Ujjwala, Ayushman Bharat, infrastructure expansion and direct benefit transfers, saying these programmes had sought to extend government services and welfare support to wider sections of society. Government data and recent reviews show substantial expansion in Jan Dhan accounts, digital connectivity and Ayushman Bharat coverage over the period.
Sharma particularly highlighted what he described as the significance of the Modi Government's approach towards Jammu and Kashmir. He referred to the constitutional changes of August 2019, followed by increased emphasis on infrastructure, healthcare, education, connectivity, entrepreneurship, sports and tourism. The Prime Minister's Office has cited expansion of infrastructure and opportunities in education, healthcare, entrepreneurship and sports in J&K since 2019. Sharma said the completion and commissioning of major road, rail, power and connectivity projects has the potential to reduce geographical isolation and create new economic opportunities for people in different parts of the Union Territory.
The BJP leader also referred to major infrastructure projects in J&K, including all-weather road connectivity, tunnels, railway expansion and hydroelectric projects, saying improved connectivity is particularly important for a geographically diverse region such as J&K. He recalled the Prime Minister's 2022 visit to Palli in Samba, where projects worth about ?20,000 crore were inaugurated or whose foundation stones were laid, including the Banihal-Qazigund road tunnel and major hydropower projects. The visit also highlighted Palli's solar-power initiative and the potential of renewable energy at the grassroots level.
Sharma said the impact of national welfare programmes in J&K should also be assessed through their reach among ordinary families. He pointed to Ayushman Bharat, housing, sanitation, financial inclusion, electricity, drinking water, road connectivity and digital services as areas where central schemes have expanded the scope of government support. In healthcare, J&K has been covered under the AB-PMJAY-SEHAT framework, while national programmes have also expanded access to cashless treatment and primary healthcare. He said such schemes become meaningful when their benefits reach the last household without discrimination. |
