G20 meeting in Kashmir will open new chapter in history

Message of peace & development!

jj correspondent

Jammu, May 16: It is matter of proud for the nation that Kashmir is completely set to host G20 meeting, which will send a strong message of progress to the world, besides it would be an opportunity for peace-lovers across the world to support such events for the interest of the world and be lesson for trouble shooters, may be within India or outside India.
It is pertinent to mention that the third G20 tourism working group meeting in Srinagar on May 22-24 will be not only eye-opener for other countries but it would provide an opportunity to them to understand the reality and culture of the Jammu & Kashmir. It would be guide for those who look at Jammu and Kashmir as only a ‘troubled’ region.
The present political turmoil in neighbouring country Pakistan, India, under its G20 presidency, is all set to hold a working group meeting of the international forum in Kashmir, which will spell the wrong perceptions among the people. The third G20 tourism working group meeting will be held from May 22 to 24 at the Sher-i-Kashmir International Conference Centre (SKICC) in Srinagar.
The meeting will attract a lot of criticism as Kashmir, which has been under the shadow of Pakistan-sponsored terrorism for decades, will be hosting delegates from so many countries for the first time in the history of J&K. It is being believed and hoped that the meeting will have a constructive and positive impact on tourism and trade in the region, which would further strengthen the tourism sector, besides it will send out a strong message to those countries that look at Jammu and Kashmir as a ‘troubled’ spot and busy in negative marketing.
It is pertinent to mention that in last year, April, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that private investment in J&K, which added up to Rs 17,000 crore in the first seven decades after Independence, now stood at Rs 38,000 crore. This was followed by Union minister of state for home affairs Nityanand Rai informing the Lok Sabha that 53 projects worth Rs 58,477 crore had been started in J&K under the Prime Minister’s Development Package. These covered roads, power, health, education, tourism, agriculture and skill development.
In this year the makers of Dubai’s Burj Khalifa entered J&K with the groundbreaking ceremony for their proposed shopping mall and multipurpose tower on the outskirts of Srinagar-the first FDI for the Union territory. The Rs 500 crore project envisages creating over 10,000 jobs in the Kashmir Valley. Besides, investment projects worth Rs 10,000 crore are under execution in J&K while proposals worth Rs 50,000 crore are being processed.
Union Minister Nitin Gadkari said developmental works worth Rs 1.3 lakh crore had been taken up by his road transport and highways ministry in J&K and that around 500 km of road network had been completed in the region since 2014. He announced a 110-km Amarnath Marg to the holy cave shrine at a cost of Rs 5,300 crore. Not only this, the officials claim panchayat elections were held in 2018 after many years, with 74.1 per cent voting. In the block development council elections held in 2019, 98.3 per cent voting was recorded.
The biggest achievement is that near about 134,000 houses have been sanctioned under the PM Awas Yojana (Gramin) and approval given for two AIIMS, one each for Jammu and the Kashmir Valley. “Rs 28,400 crore will be spent till 2037 under a new central plan for industrial development of Jammu and Kashmir. A new chapter of industrialisation will begin,” said an official, adding that the projects are expected to create 450,000 direct and indirect jobs in the primary sector.