Rozgar Mela at SMVDU: Post Art 370 development in J&K unmatched: Rijiju

Jammu, Oct 24: The Union Parliamentary Affairs and Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju Friday asserted that the pace of development in Jammu and Kashmir since 2014 and particularly post Article 370 abrogation had been unmatched.

“Prior to the abrogation of Article 370, many provisions of the Constitution of India were not in force in J&K. Reservation, many of Government of India schemes etc., were not being implemented here (in J&K). This (implementation) happened after the abrogation of Article 370 and the development also picked up pace,” he stated.

He was responding to media queries after attending the Rozgar Mela, held at Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University (SMVDU), Reasi in J&K as part of a nationwide initiative held across 40 locations.

The initiative launched by the Government of India is aimed at providing employment opportunities in various central government departments and organizations.

Highlight of the function was that the Prime Minister addressed the Rozgar Mela virtually and handed over 51,000 appointment letters to newly recruited candidates, including 65 from Jammu, in various departments across the country.

At SMVDU, Rijiju, who was the chief guest along with the Rajya Sabha MP and senior BJP leader Gulam Ali Khatana, distributed appointment letters. They also interacted with the newly appointed youth.

In response to media queries, Rijiju stated that he had visited Kashmir a number of times. “I visited Kashmir during my childhood. I came here in the 1970s, then again in the 1980s, 1990s. Even after 2000, I’ve regularly visited Kashmir. But the pace of development in Jammu and Kashmir since 2014 and particularly post Article 370 abrogation has been unmatched.”

“I have seen myself as the Union Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports. Sports facilities have been created in every district of J&K. Auditorium, multi-sports facility centre, training centre and many other similar facilities have been constructed here. I served as the Union Law Minister. Construction of many district court buildings was initiated, even the foundation stone for the High Court building was laid then,” he pointed out, while enlisting few infrastructure projects.

“I’ve experienced myself that J&K’s destiny has taken a turn for good after Prime Minister Narendra Modi took over the reins of the country and the abrogation of Article 370. Now J&K is marching forward in a peaceful atmosphere. The whole world wants to explore the majestic beauty of Kashmir. It is such a wonderful place. Peace and development will further add to its glory and charm,” Rijiju said.

He, however, refused to comment on the remarks of the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah reiterating early restoration of statehood, saying, “The Chief Minister is asserting his political rights. I cannot comment on that.”

With regard to Bihar elections, the Union Minister stated that there was still a Modi wave across India and the people of Bihar wanted to move forward under the leadership of the Prime Minister.

“Earlier during the day, the Prime Minister initiated an election campaign in Bihar from the birthplace of Karpoori Thakur, which itself conveyed a significant message. None wants the return of ‘jungle Raj’. People believe that India is safe and strong in the hands of Modiji, under whose leadership the country will grow and prosper. The mood in Bihar is in favour of NDA,” he said.

Earlier, while addressing the gathering at SMVDU, Rijiju congratulated the newly appointed candidates, encouraging them to contribute with dedication and integrity toward the nation’s development goals.

In this phase, 65 candidates from Jammu were handed their appointment letters at the SMVDU venue by the Union Minister.

The event was also attended by Dr Pragati Kumar, Vice-Chancellor, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi University, senior officials and representatives from participating central government departments.

Rijiju highlighted that the Rozgar Mela reflected the government’s continued commitment to employment generation and skill development, ensuring that India’s youth play a central role in nation-building.

“When the youth get employment, their families rejoice. The occasion becomes more significant when the Prime Minister of the country, himself, hands over appointment letters and addresses them. 51000 appointment letters, distributed by the Prime Minister today, were for the jobs in the government sectors. These jobs constituted ‘Amrit Kaal’ employment. So I exhort the youth selected today not to take it (employment) as a mere job but consider it as an opportunity to serve the nation,” the Union Minister said.

Appointment letters were distributed to candidates under various central government departments and organisations including the Department of Posts, Department of Railways, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) Vijaypur, Border Security Force (BSF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), and the State Bank of India (SBI).

The Prime Minister, while addressing the Rozgar Mela via videoconferencing, also emphasised that the appointments were not merely government jobs, but opportunities to actively contribute to nation-building. He expressed confidence that the appointees would work with integrity and sincerity and play a vital role in creating better systems for the India of the future.

The Prime Minister further appealed to the new appointees to not forget the mantra of ‘Nagarik Devo Bhava’ and work by upholding the spirit of service and dedication.

He noted that Rozgar Melas had become a powerful medium to fulfill the aspirations of young Indians, with over 11 lakh appointment letters issued through these Melas in recent times.

“These efforts are not limited to government jobs alone. The government has launched the ‘PM Viksit Bharat Rozgar Yojana’ with a target to provide employment to 3.5 crore youth. The initiatives like the Skill India Mission are equipping youth with necessary training, while platforms such as the National Career Service are connecting them with new opportunities. Through this platform, information on more than 7 crore vacancies has already been shared with the youth,” he said.

Prime Minister also announced a major initiative for youth—the ‘Pratibha Setu Portal’—which offers opportunities to candidates who reached the final list of UPSC but were not selected.