Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh Tuesday announced that a new highway would be constructed in Jammu and Kashmir along the border from Kargil to Gurez.
Singh made this announcement at a high-level meeting convened here to review the implementation of various developmental initiatives in the state, an official spokesman said.
Governor Satya Pal Malik, advisers to the governor, B B Vyas, K Vijay Kumar and Khurshid Ahmad Ganai, Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba, Chief Secretary B V R Subrahmanyam and other officials from the state and the Centre were present in the meeting, he said.
Singh said the Union Ministry for Road Transport and Highways had been asked to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the new highway joining Kargil, in Ladakh, and Gurez, in Bandipora district, after traversing through Drass, Machhil, Keran and Tangdhar, the official said.
He said Singh also reviewed the projects being implemented under the Prime Minister's Development Programme (PMDP) and the Dal Lake Conservation programme, the process of setting up of five new battalions of the Indian Reserve Police in the state, the progress of capacity building of local youth under Himayat, Udaan and the Prime Minister's Kaushal Vikas Yojana, the Prime Minister's Special Scholarship Scheme (PMSSS) for J&K students, the creation of sports infrastructure and educational exchange programmes.
The Union home minister also reviewed the progress of relief disbursement to Pakistan occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) and West Pakistan refugees, employment packages for migrants under the PMDP, the border area development plan (BADP) and the construction of bunkers along the International Border and the LoC. He also took a detailed review of the developmental issues of Ladakh, the spokesperson said.
The state chief secretary sought the Union minister's intervention in getting an Industrial Development Package, on the lines of the Northeast Industrial Development Scheme, extended to J&K which has extra incentives for entrepreneurs. He also sought a special dispensation of Rs 1,724 crore for land acquisition under the PMGSY.
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The chief secretary sought an additional Rs 759 crore for the Srinagar Ring Road Project and relaxation in SDRF norms for purchase of equipment, he said.
The Union Home Minister also separately chaired a high-level meeting to review the overall security scenario in the state, he added.
In the afternoon, the Union home minister held one-on-one meetings with the former chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti. He also met political delegations separately from the NC, the PDP, the Congress and the BJP, the spokesman said.