Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) Science & Technology; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh today said, Basohli in Kathua district of J&K is to be developed as Heritage Town and Aroma Start-up destination in coming years.
Dr. Jitendra Singh said this while addressing a public meeting in Basohli. On the occasion, a Lavender Awareness program was also organised.
Dr. Jitendra Singh said, Basohli was always neglected by the previous governments, thus the development deficit is still seen in this Kandi area. After Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi took over in 2014, the priority has been to bring the left out areas into the development mainstream so as to end the development deficit syndrome in these areas.
Reiterating the vision of Prime Minister of India to create a Viksit Bharat & Viksit Jammu and Kashmir, Dr. Jitendra Singh said, the government is focussed on the Poor, Farmers, Youth and Nari Shakti. The Poor, Farmers, Youth and Nari Shakti have been empowered through various government welfare schemes as this government believes in ‘Sabka Sath, Sabka Vikas’ mantra, said Dr. Jitendra Singh.
In terms of road and highway development, Dr. Jitendra Singh said, North India’s first ever Cable-Stayed Bridge Atal Setu, J&K’s first inter-State bridge at Keerian-Gandyal etc. have been the cornerstones of development never imagined by anyone.
Dr. Jitendra Singh said, had Shri Narendra Modi not become the Prime Minister of India in 2014, the Shahpur-Kandi Project would not have been resumed that was stalled for the previous 70 years. Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the highest priority to this project as it is the lifeline of this area in many ways, and has the potential to irrigate 4000 acre agricultural land of this area, Dr. Jitendra Singh emphasised.
Aroma Mission has been started by our neighbouring states like Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, said Dr Jitendra Singh. As this constituency has been the birthplace of Purple Revolution in India, Basohli must not shy away from starting the lavender cultivation here as this can increase the income of agriculturists of this area manifold, he said.