J&K has seen significant decline in terrorist incidents: Centre to Lok Sabha

Infiltration in J&K has decreased from 143 in 2014 to only 31 in 2021 and terrorist incidents also declined from 417 in 2018 to 229 in 2021: Centre to Lok Sabha

The central government on Tuesday informed the Lok Sabha that Jammu and Kashmir has improved substantially and there has been a significant decline in terrorist incidents in the region.

Union minister of state for home Nityanand Rai also announced through a written reply that 25 out of 53 projects in J&K under Prime Minister’s Development Package 2015, pertaining to 15 different ministries, have been completed or substantially completed.

Union minister of state for home Nityanand Rai also announced through a written reply that 25 out of 53 projects under Prime Minister’s Development Package 2015, pertaining to 15 different ministries, have been completed or substantially completed.

The minister informed the Lower House, “The net infiltration has decreased from 143 in 2014 to only 31 in 2021 and terrorist incidents also declined from 417 in 2018 to 229 in 2021.” The data presented also mentions that 138 infiltrations were reported in 2019, followed by 51 in 2020; and 255 terrorist incidents occurred in 2019, which dipped to 244 in 2020. Rai added, “As many as 257 terrorists were killed in 2018, followed by 157 in 2019, 221 in 2020 and 180 in 2021.”

He further said that the government has taken several steps to boost the development of J&K. Rai said a new Central Sector Scheme had been notified on February 19, 2021, for the industrial development of J&K, with an outlay of ₹28,400 crore which is likely to provide employment to over 4.5 lakh people.

Restore legislative assembly in J&K: Congress, TMC in Rajya Sabha

The Congress and TMC on Tuesday accused the central government of announcing the budget of Jammu & Kashmir without paying heed to the aspirations of people of the union territory and pressed for restoring the legislative assembly there.

Initiating the debate on the budget of Jammu and Kashmir in Rajya Sabha, Congress member Vivek K Tankha alleged that there is complete administrative paralysis in the UT due to the absence of an elected government.

Tankha told the House that in the last five years and 254 days, there was either governor’s rule or President’s rule and no legislature to discuss their budget. He also highlighted that the budget has proposed to ‘’lower’’ the allocations for higher education, cultural and power development.

Echoing similar views, Trinamool Congress’ Md Nadimul Haque said that this budget has not reflected the socio-economic conditions of Jammu and Kashmir. He claimed that there was 22% unemployment in Jammu and Kashmir against the national average of 7%. He also quoted a report of the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation and said that among the educated people, the unemployment rate is 46.3% in J&K and every second educated youth is unemployed there.