Peace, equality, justice at centre of J&K’s governance under PM Modi: MHA

New Delhi, Jan 1: The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) Wednesday said that peace, equality, and justice are at the centre of Jammu and Kashmir’s governance.

“Under the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the MHA undertook a slew of measures to enshrine peace, equality, and justice at the centre of Jammu and Kashmir’s governance and society,” the MHA said in its year-end review for 2024.

It said that peace in J&K has been a priority of the PM Modi government.

The 2024 annual report of the MHA said that during the year 2024, there has been zero terror and 100 percent progress in J&K, empowering the region with inclusion, development and vigil.

“PM Modi-led government is building a terror-free J&K through a multipronged approach. While the security forces are waging a full-blown war against terror on the ground, the MHA is empowering them by banning individuals and organisations involved in terror and anti-India activities,” the report said.

It said that the government was committed to setting an example by cracking down on terrorists through innovative means.

The MHA said that in line with PM Modi’s zero-tolerance policy against terrorism, the goal of ‘terror-free J&K’ would be achieved at the earliest.

It also lauded the unprecedented participation of the people of J&K in the Assembly elections and Lok Sabha elections saying that it shows that they have full faith in democracy.

“In the 2024 Lok Sabha election J&K secured a 35-year-high voter turnout at 58.46 and in the 2024 Assembly polls, J&K witnessed a meteoric 63.88 percent voter turnout,” the MHA report said.

It said that due to the sustained and coordinated efforts of the Centre, the ecosystem of terrorism in J&K had almost ended.

“The Parliament passed the Constitution (Jammu and Kashmir) Scheduled Tribes Order (Amendment) Bill, 2024, a historic bill aimed at empowering the Pahari Ethnic Group, Padari Tribes, Koli, and Gadda Brahmin,” the MHA said.

It said that the bill directly pivots the essence of social equity to the hills and valleys of J&K by providing reservations for deserving communities.

The MHA report said that the bill heralds a new sense of belonging and unity among the people.

It said that the inclusion of these communities in the list of Scheduled Tribes in J&K would have no impact on the current level of reservations available to the existing Scheduled Tribe communities like Gujjars and Bakarwals and they would continue to get reservations like before.

It said that during this year, Union Home Minister and Minister of Cooperation Amit Shah launched an e-bus service in Jammu and distributed more than 1000 appointment letters for J&K Combined Examination-2024 and compassionate appointments through video conferencing from New Delhi.

“A total of 100 air-conditioned e-buses have been inaugurated, which will not only make transportation easier but also help in environmental protection,” the MHA said.

It said that the era of recommendations was over in Kashmir and all appointments were now being made on a merit basis.

“Instead of terrorism, bomb blasts, firing, stone pelting, and strikes, now education, technical institutions, industries, and infrastructure are being seen in J&K,” the MHA report said.

It said that the Union Home Minister Amit Shah had directed the security agencies to replicate the successes achieved in Kashmir through the area domination plan and zero-terror plan in the Jammu division.