Amit Shah attends CRPF's 83rd Raising Day parade in Jammu

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday attended the 83rd Raising Day parade of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Jammu. This is the first time that the CRPF is celebrating its Raising Day outside the national capital.

Jammu: Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday attended the 83rd Raising Day parade of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Jammu. This is the first time that the CRPF is celebrating its Raising Day outside the national capital. The Union Home Minister will also review the security arrangements ahead of Amarnath Yatra and the proposed assembly elections. This is the second visit of Shah to Jammu in the last five months.

In his address, Shah said after Narendra Modi became prime minister, Jammu and Kashmir has seen a sea of changes as democracy was strengthened and taken to the village level. He also commended the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) for taking "decisive control" of the fight against Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.

"I am sure that we will be able to restore peace (in J&K and in naxal and extremism affected areas of the country, including in the northeast), and if it happens, the credit will go to CRPF jawans," Shah said.

The Border Security Force, the Indo-Tibetian Border Police, the Central Reserve Police Force, the Central Industrial Security Force, the Sashastra Seema Bal are among the CAPFs. Of them, the CRPF is the country's largest paramilitary force.

The Union Home Minister asserted that abrogation of Article 370 has resulted in inclusive development in the erstwhile state. He also lauded the efforts of the local administration in its crusade against corruption and taking developmental activities to new heights in the Union Territory. The abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019 resulted in inclusive development of all sections of society, including the deprived. Democracy has also been successfully taken to the village level, he said.

"Today, over 30,000 people are elected members of panchayats. There is panch and sarpanch in every village and they are guiding the developmental activities in their villages. Tehsil and district panchayats were formed and the Modi-led government has been successful in taking the Panchayati Raj system to the ground level," the Union home minister said.

"Dalits, backward classes, women and pahari-speaking people were deprived of benefits of development in the past but under new laws which were implemented in J&K (after August 2019), everyone is getting benefited," Shah said.

Praising the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha-led Jammu and Kashmir administration, he said it was successful in bringing industrial investment worth Rs 33,000 crore on the ground, implementing all components of the Prime Minister's Development Package and launching a crusade against corruption by taking action against officials and also improving the system.

He also hailed the administration for achieving 100 per cent saturation in various projects including Har Ghar Nal Ka Jal' and Har Ghar Bijli' and said the roads constructed over the past five years to provide connectivity to villages and laying of new highways have set a new record. Seven new medical colleges, two All India Institute of Medical Sciences, 21 water supply schemes and above all the impartiality in every sphere are some of the achievements of the government, he said while congratulating Sinha and his administration.