Will never allow terrorism to revive in J&K: L-G Sinha

Srinagar: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha emphasized on Thursday that India will never allow Pakistan to revive terrorism in the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir. He called upon the people of Jammu to stand united with the security forces to eliminate terrorism from the region.

“We will never permit our neighboring country's terror designs to succeed in Jammu and Kashmir. The people of Jammu have always rejected terrorism, and I urge them to continue supporting the security forces in eradicating this menace,” Sinha said during his address at the 78th Independence Day celebration at Bakshi Stadium.

Since the abrogation of Article 370, and particularly after 2021, Jammu has witnessed a troubling rise in terror attacks and targeted killings, leading to increased instability in the region. On Wednesday, an army captain and a foreign terrorist were killed in an ongoing counter-terror operation at Assar, Doda.

The Lieutenant Governor reaffirmed the commitment of the security forces to dismantling terrorist networks in Jammu and Kashmir. He commended the J&K police for their professionalism and their efforts across multiple fronts, which have earned them numerous gallantry awards.

“The J&K administration has left no stone unturned in the past five years to drive the UT towards new heights of development," Sinha noted and highlighted that marginalized communities, such as SC, ST, OBC, Valmikis, and PoJK-WPRs, who had been deprived of their rights for the past 70 years, are now living with dignity and full voting rights.

The LG also mentioned that following the G-20 meeting in Srinagar in May 2023, the influx of tourists to the region has significantly increased. Last year, J&K saw 2.11 crore tourists, and by June 30th of this year, over one crore tourists had already visited the UT, he said.

For the first time, the Shri Amarnathji cave shrine and Gurez have been connected to the power grid. The Lieutenant Governor also announced that the J&K Industrial Policy would be renewed by the end of the year. He stated that the administration has requested the Government of India to make the new industrial policy more industry-friendly, with additional features to be included.

In 2019, J&K Bank was incurring losses, but through relentless efforts, it has now become a profitable institution for the UT. "This institution is no longer limited to a few; it has become the people's bank," Sinha concluded.