by Harish Gupta, National Editor, Lokmat Group
Big Package for J&K in Offing
5-member GoM formed for Action Plan
50,000 jobs to be created shortly
Harish Gupta
New Delhi, Aug 28
In a major fillip to development and job creation in Jammu & Kashmir, the Modi government has formed 5-member Group of Ministers (GoM) headed by Law & Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.
The government has already decided to implement all 85 Central schemes for the benefit of over 1.30 crore people of the state. After the abrogation of Article 370, the people will now be able to take advantage of these schemes. These schemes included PM-Kisan, Ayushman Bharat and others. Even the government employees of the region, including police personnel, were not getting many facilities enjoyed by their counterparts in other Uts. It will be the Centre's priority that they get the same perks. As of now they were not getting benefits like LTC (leave travel concession), house rent allowance, health insurance and education allowance for their children.
The government intends to create 50,000 jobs immediately in the state.
It is largely because of this very purpose, that the GoM has been constituted which will prepare a blueprint of development of the state and create job opportunities.
Union ministers Ravi Shankar Prasad, Social Justice & Empowerment Minister Thawar Chand Gehlot, Minister of State in the PMO Jitender Singh, Agriculture & Rural Development Minister Narendra Tomar and Petroleum and Steel Minister Dharmendra Pradhan are members of the GoM.
The GoM has been asked to prepare a proposal on how each of these departments can contribute towards J&K's fast growth. The group is expected to submit a report before October 31.
GoM's report could be the basis of another economic package that is expected to be announced by the Prime Minister in the months to come.
The announcement comes a day after reports suggested that the Centre is mulling announcement of a big package aimed at all-round development of the during the J&K an aim to restore normalcy.
The government is also planning to announce massive job opportunities for Kashmiri youngsters in the near future. A delegation of the Ministry of Minority Affairs on Tuesday embarked on a two-day visit to Kashmir to explore and identify the regions where the development projects of the Centre can be introduced.
