SRINAGAR: As a part of central government’s outreach programme, at least 70 Union ministers will visit Jammu and Kashmir by the end of May. It will be the third outreach programme since the scrapping of Articles 370 and 35A in 2019.
Sources said the ministers would be visiting all the 20 districts of the state in a phased manner to assess the developmental works from the last three years and get the feedback of the public. The list of ministers to visit the state includes Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Road Transport and Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari. The programme started after the abrogation J&K’s special status by the Centre in 2019.
In 2020, 36 Union ministers visited the state while last year 70 Union ministers visited the Union Territory to get information of the security and development situation of the region. The visit holds importance as within a few months, Assembly polls are going to take place in the state, which is likely to be held in October-November.
The state is under central rule since the fall of PDP-BJP coalition government in June 2018. The ministers during their interaction would give an idea about the funds spent on development works post Article 370 revocation. They would also interact with DDC chairmen, DDC members, mayors and municipal councilors and panchayat members and review work on Centrally Sponsored Schemes and other development projects in J&K.
Cop killed, daughter hurt in target attack
Srinagar: In yet another targeted killing, militants on Tuesday shot dead a policeman and injured his 9-year-old daughter outside their house at Soura area in Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. Police sources said that militants fired bullets on Saifullah Qadri outside his house at Ganai Mohalla, Anchar in Soura when he was leaving home to drop his daughter for tuition. In the attack, the policeman sustained critical gunshot wounds while his daughter got injured in arms. Both were taken to a nearby hospital, where the injured policeman succumbed to injuries. Immediately after the attack, the police rushed to the spot and launched a search operation to track down the militants responsible for the attack.