J-K takes steady steps toward reforms; global e-commerce giants tie up for trade promotion

Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir) [India], July 19 : Walmart and Flipkart have partnered with the Jammu & Kashmir Trade Promotion Organisation to train and enhance the capacity of the MSME sector in the union territory. The memorandum of understanding was signed among the retailer, e-commerce behemoth and the trade body.
This initiative is a part of the retailers' upskilling initiative Walmart Vriddhi Supplier Development Programme, which aims to provide entrepreneurs and MSMEs with training, support, market linkages, and the tools to digitise their businesses and sell online.
Speaking at the Zee Salam Conclave "Emerging Jammu Kashmir", Lieutenant Governor of the union territory Manoj Sinha said unprecedented developments have taken place in Jammu & Kashmir in the past two-three years.
"J&K is treading on the path of progress and prosperity only due to the clear vision for the welfare of the people and the determination of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi," he added.
The Lt Governor said that the growth and development of Emerging Jammu Kashmir is not limited to just Jammu or Srinagar, but it is also visible in remote villages like Palli, which has bridged the development gap of decades in just three years.
It is visible in thousands of tribal households in Pulwama, Kulgam, Rajouri, who have got their due rights on forests and its produce for the first time and children of poor tribals studying in smart schools equipped with computers, tablets, he further added.
According to various media reports the Lt Governor underscored that sustained efforts have been made to eliminate corruption and bring transparency in governance. It is being ensured that every penny for public welfare is being spent rightly and the account of each penny has been made available in the public domain.
Behind today's Emerging Jammu and Kashmir, there is a fear-free, corruption-free, transparent system which has led to record completion of 51,000 projects in the last financial year, as against only 9,229 projects in 2018-19. Despite the coronavirus pandemic, more than double 21,943 projects were completed in 2020-21.
This is the new face of Emerging Jammu and Kashmir that is being appreciated all over the country for completing the project at the fastest speed, he added.
Earlier only 6 km of road was built per day in Jammu and Kashmir, Today 21 km of road is being constructed every day. Now, J&K is at third position in the entire country in the Pradhan Mantri GrA fewSadak Yojana.
A few years back, it took more than 11 hours to travel from Jammu to Srinagar by road. The travel time has been greatly reduced and one can cover the same distance in little above five hours.
"Soon it would take less than four hours, I am certain," the Lt Governor said.
He added: "Under the guidance of Hon'ble Prime Minister, Rs 1 lakh crores are being spent on the road and tunnel infrastructure projects in J&K and we are also endeavoring to connect Srinagar and other cities of the Valley directly to Delhi, soon, through the Katra-Delhi Expressway. It would reduce Kashmir to Delhi travel time to only 11 hours."
Despite the immense potential of power generation in J&K, nothing was done in the seven decades. Only 3450 MW has been realized, but the requirement is way too much.
The same amount of electricity will be generated in the next four years and Jammu and Kashmir will become self-reliant in the Power sector, he added.
There were only three medical colleges in Jammu and Kashmir for catering to the needs of the entire population but now there are 10 medical colleges, besides Jammu and Kashmir is the only place in the country where two AIIMS are being constructed, one in Samba and other in Awantipora.
"We now have two new cancer institutes as well. These developments are the shining examples of Emerging J&K," the Lt Governor asserted.
The Lt Governor said that for the first time a vibrant 3-tier Panchayti Raj system was established in J&K. Further, to bridge the gap between cities and border villages, Rs 600 crore has been approved for Border Area Development.