PM Modi likely to visit J&K on Feb 20; to address rally, launch projects
*Rozgar Mela: 3 Ministers in JK, Ladakh today*
*1.08 lakh job letters to be distributed*
Jammu, Feb 12: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to visit Jammu and Kashmir on February 20 to inaugurate and lay foundation stone of development works running into thousands of crores. He is also scheduled to address a rally in Jammu.
Meanwhile, in last Rozgar Mela of present Government, Modi will distribute 1.08 lakh appointment letters among the youth through video conferencing in different departments of the Central Government tomorrow.
Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Dr Jitendra Singh will coordinate the Rozgar Mela from New Delhi while three Union Ministers will distribute letters among the youth in Jammu, Srinagar and Leh.
Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Ashwini Kumar Choubey will be present at job distribution mela at BSF Headquarters Paloura in Jammu while Union Minister of State for AYUSH, Women and Child Development Mahendra Munjpara will attend Rozgar Mela at Srinagar. Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farm Welfare Kailash Choudhary will join the similar function at Leh.
Official sources told the Excelsior that the Prime Minister is likely to visit Jammu and Kashmir on February 20. He is likely to visit Jammu as well as Srinagar but the tour schedule is being finalized and is expected to be released in next couple of days.
The Prime Minister is likely to address a massive rally in Jammu, the sources said.
He will inaugurate a series of development projects including All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) at Vijaypur in Samba, the highest Railway bridge, which will link Kashmir with rest of the country by rail this year, in Reasi district, Devika Rejuvenation project at Udhampur, IIM Jammu and Shahpur Kandi.
A number of other projects have also been identified for inauguration while Modi will also lay foundation stone of various other development works in Jammu and Kashmir.
Inauguration and foundation stone laying ceremony of projects is expected to be done from one place.
While train to the Valley will take few more months but there is a proposal to run train beyond Banihal i.e. up to Khari where nearly 40 kilometres track is almost ready and security inspection has been completed.
This will bring Kashmir much closer by rail but linking Valley with rest of the country by train is expected to take few more months. Earlier, the project was expected to be completed by March but the deadline has now been revised to May. However, as per the sources, the train which presently runs between Banihal and Baramulla can easily be extended up to Khari i.e. a distance of another 40 kilometres which will further reduce the gap between Kashmir and Jammu by rail.
The projects to be inaugurated or whose foundation stone will be laid by the Prime Minister run into thousands of crores, they said.
Modi’s visit to Jammu and Kashmir could boost BJP’s prospects in the Union Territory ahead of Lok Sabha elections as the party this time is eyeing three seats instead of two that it won for two consecutive terms in 2014 and 2019. Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Dr Jitendra Singh and Jugal Kishore Sharma won Udhampur and Jammu seats in last two Lok Sabha polls.
However, this time, the BJP is eyeing third seat Anantnag-Poonch-Rajouri which has large number of Pahari votes to whom the Government accorded ST status in the just concluded Parliament session.
Meanwhile, tomorrow’s Rozgar Mela will be held at 47 locations across the country. The recruitments are taking place across Central Government Departments and State Governments/UTs supporting this initiative.
The new recruits will be joining the Government in various Ministries/Departments viz. Department of Revenue, Ministry of Home Affairs, Department of Higher Education, Department of Atomic Energy, Ministry of Defence, Department of Financial Services, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Ministry of Tribal Affairs and Ministry of Railways in various positions.
“Rozgar Mela is a step towards fulfilment of the commitment of the Prime Minister to accord highest priority to employment generation in the country. Rozgar Mela is expected to leverage further employment generation and provide gainful opportunities to the Youth for their empowerment and direct participation in National Development,’’ an official statement said.
The newly inducted appointees are also getting an opportunity to train themselves through Karmayogi Prarambh, an online module on iGOT Karmayogi portal where more than 880 e-learning courses have been made available for ‘anywhere any device’ learning format.
This will be last Rozgar Mela of the present Government as Model Code of Conduct is likely to be imposed in first week of March followed by the Parliamentary elections in April-May.–(Daily Excelsior)
