DODA: Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Dr Jitendra Singh has said that development in Jammu and Kashmir during last seven years was “unheard of” and took a swipe at previous rulers from erstwhile Doda constituency saying it was the BJP Government led by Narendra Modi at the Centre which took roads, Post Offices, Banks etc to their home villages.
Without naming anyone, Dr Jitendra Singh said the political leaders from erstwhile Doda district who remained Ministers, MPs, MLAs etc “intentionally” kept the areas under-developed to garner votes.
“We introduced new political culture to make up for loss of 70 years. And, it was because of this that the BJP’s victory margin in 2019 Lok Sabha elections in Udhampur-Doda Lok Sabha seat jumped by six times as compared to 2014 Parliamentary polls,” Dr Jitendra Singh, who is MP from Udhampur-Kathua-Doda Lok Sabha seat, said in a hard hitting speech directly targeting the political leaders of erstwhile Doda district who remained at the helm of affairs.
Though he didn’t name anyone, the target was obviously towards Ghulam Nabi Azad, Ghulam Mohammad Saroori, Sajjad Ahmed Kitchloo, Khalid Najib Suhrawardhy and Abdul Mujeed Wani among others, who served as Ministers at the Centre as well as Jammu and Kashmir representing erstwhile Doda district.
He said it was the BJP Government which connected many rural areas with road network. Some villages saw Post Office and Bank for the first time. What the political leaders who ruled Doda and Kishtwar for 70 years did”? he asked.
“Development works which have been taken up in erstwhile Doda district are unheard of. None would have thought that Kishtwar will get an airfield, the work on which is in progress, Ganpat bridge in Doda was just on pillars and everybody wanted to know when the pillars will be connected. It was completed in our term. None would have thought that Chenani-Sudhmahadev-Doda will be a National Highway. Similarly, many more Highways have been announced and the work is either on or is about to be taken up,” Dr Jitendra Singh said.
He added that it was after takeover by Narendra Modi Government that ignored and neglected areas started getting the Government’s attention.
He also referred to linking of Marmat with National Highway and sanction of degree colleges in many areas.
