J&K will get its identity back: DyCM

Jammu, Mar 15: Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary Saturday went poetic to reiterate that the (Jammu and Kashmir) State would get its identity back sooner or later and would witness a new dawn of optimism.

While replying to debate on demands for grants for the departments under his charge i.e., Public Works Department; Mining Department; Industries and Commerce Department; Labour and Employment Department and Skill Development Department, in the Legislative Assembly, he conveyed this using this poetic expression: “Jo Riyasat Thi Woh Phir Apni Pehchaan Payegi..Naya Sawera Aayega, Zaroor Aayega.”

Responding to the members’ points raised about the Public Works Department, Choudhary said that a survey conducted through advanced technology had identified 2,508 road alignments and the government was actively preparing Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) to secure approval for over 1,000 new projects in 2025-26.

He said that an extensive road network of 40,000 km was being maintained with priority to provide high-quality roads and connectivity to the last unconnected village.

“The department is making every possible effort to ensure that the roads built with public funds stand the test of time. In 2025-26, we are targeting 4,000 km of road blacktopping under various schemes such as PMGSY, cities and towns, CRIF and NABARD, significantly improving travel conditions for the people of J&K,” he said.

Giving a detailed account of statistics, he said that under PMGSY, 2,132 out of 2,140 identified villages were connected, laying down 17,585 km of roads and constructing 210 bridges at an investment of Rs 10,939 Cr. “The remaining work will be completed by 2025-26. Under PMGSY Phase II and III, we have upgraded 1,927 km of roads and constructed 9 bridges, while the remaining 505 km of roads and 64 bridges will be completed soon,” he said.

Deputy Chief Minister informed that the Government of India had approved PMGSY-4 to connect habitations with 250 plus population as per the 2011 Census.

Under NABARD, 213 projects were completed in 2024-25, marking the highest ever achievement for the department in a single year, he said.

“The department is not only focusing on construction but also implementing modern reforms to improve efficiency and quality. The introduction of an Online Management and Payment System has enabled real-time project monitoring and direct contractor payments, reducing delays and increasing transparency,” Choudhary added. The J&K PWD Manual 2021 has been updated after several decades to include the latest engineering practices, he maintained.

“The Road Maintenance Policy 2021 ensures timely upkeep, preventing early deterioration of roads. A Two-Tier Quality Control Mechanism has been introduced for strict monitoring and third-party inspections are now mandatory for all major projects,” he said.

With regard to industries, the Deputy Chief Minister said that to attract businesses, the government introduced 14 policies and schemes that provided financial support, tax benefits and land for industries.

In this connection he mentioned New Central Sector Scheme (NCSS) 2021, launched with Rs 28,400 Cr to help industries set up and grow. “The response has been positive—971 industrial units have been approved, bringing in Rs 10,471 Cr of investment and creating 51,897 jobs,” he added.

The Deputy Chief Minister said that J&K’s startup ecosystem was booming with the number of registered startups growing from 237 in 2020 to 1,011 today, recording a 326 percent increase. Out of these, 373 startups were led by women.

To tackle the issue of illegal mining, the Deputy Chief Minister said that the government had established Multi-Departmental District-Level Task Force Cells, headed by the respective Deputy Commissioners, with District SSPs as key members.

While enumerating action taken against illegal mining, he stated that none would be allowed to undermine law and the government was following zero tolerance against corruption and illegal mining.

He also enumerated steps taken in case of Labour and Employment and Skill Development Departments.

Following, his reply, the House passed the grants amounting Rs 7050.86 lakh for Mining Department, Rs 108603.20 lakh for Industries and Commerce Department, Rs 528374.63 lakh for Public Works Department, Rs 35344.46 lakh for Labour and Employment Department and Rs. 22561.03 lakh for Skill Development Department by a voice vote after the members withdrew their cut motions to demands.

Earlier, while speaking to media persons outside the House, the Deputy Chief Minister stated that there could be ideological differences but the J&K government led by the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah would never target anyone.

While responding to a question pertaining to the banning of Awami Action Committee of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq by the Centre, Choudhary said, “We all are citizens of J&K, including Omar Sahib and Mirwaiz Sahib. Ideological differences don’t end relations. We have differences but our government never targets anyone on that account.”

In response to another query related to BJP, the Deputy Chief Minister rejected its (BJP’s) charges against NC vis-à-vis discrimination against Jammu. “No, we never discriminated against Jammu. In fact during our tenure Jammu got real justice. For us, Jammu has been a priority area as has been Kashmir. I would say actually, the BJP did injustice with Jammu by supporting abolition of Darbar Move – a royal practice to maintain balance between the two regions besides bolstering the economy and people-to-people ties,” he said.