Srinagar (Jammu and Kashmir):Jammu and Kashmir's Lt governor Manoj Sinha on Tuesday said that the union territory is “no longer a land of terrorism but peace and tranquility." "I welcome you all. I want to express gratitude to PM Modi for providing an opportunity to hold the G20 summit in Kashmir. J&K is fully committed to sustainable tourism," he said while addressing a gathering at Raj Bhawan in Srinagar where he hosted a high tea after the conclusion of the 3rd G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting.
The meeting took place at the SKICC on the banks of the famous Dal Lake on the 2nd day of the maiden G20 meet in Kashmir. Addressing the delegates, the J&K Lt Governor said, "We have received a record-breaking number of tourists last year. I have been informed that 57 delegations from 27 countries have come to attend the G20 meeting in Srinagar. And this is the largest gathering ever in G20 meetings in India." The Lt Governor said that "Jammu and Kashmir is no longer a land of terrorism but peace and tranquility”.
“Grass-root democracy has been empowered. Free media is operating in Jammu and Kashmir and every day more than 400 newspapers are published here." "You will be surprised that last year, over 60 lakh youth participated in sports activities. We are trying to make the Gulmarg International sports venue. We wanted to take our delegates to Gulmarg but due to logistics and lack of time we had to cancel the plan," he added.
Also read:G20 meet in Kashmir Day 2: LG Manoj Sinha inaugurates 3rd G20 Tourism Working Group Meeting at SKICC Srinagar
The Lt Governor said that “on an average, every day 527 youth have started startups in Jammu and Kashmir”. “Also, we are receiving around 5-7 applications daily requesting permission for setting up industries. And soon we are going to make J&K a digital society,” he said. The LG further claimed that in the next five years, Rs 5013 crore would be spent on improving farmers' income.
Over 6 lakh women through Self-Help groups are able to generate sustainable income, he said adding that the handicraft sector is also flourishing. "I assert that we will continue to transform Jammu and Kashmir," Sinha said. While responding to a question, he said, "We are planning to auction some of our properties so that Kashmir will have better private accommodation facilities. Also, the metro project is being under review before the centre government."
He said that Kashmir is being connected to Kanyakumari via railway network next year. “Air and road connectivity between Srinagar and Jammu has improved a lot in these two years. Closure of GoFirst airways has impacted airfare," he added. Over international events in Jammu and Kashmir, he said, "We are ready and capable enough to host any international event.
If there were some lapses, that we have inherited from previous governments, we are working on how to make countries review their advisories." The LG said that press “enjoys absolute freedom in Jammu and Kashmir”. “According to a report, a total of seven journalists have been detained in India but they were not arrested for journalism. In other countries, this number is 20% higher," he said while responding to a question on press freedom.
The LG said that G20 is a “matter of pride for us and Pakistan has no locus standi to comment on our matters. They should focus on their own country.”
