Yes, Badalta Jammu and Kashmir
Omkar Dattatray
Four years of the scrapping of Article 370 have passed and there has been sea, wholesale and total change in the Jammu and Kashmir .The old picture of Jammu and Kashmir as a region of militancy ,terrorism ,insurgency and violence has ended with the abrogation of controversial Article 370 and today there is by and large peace ,normalcy ,progress, prosperity and development .The strikes ,bandhs’ ,lockdowns and closure of the educational institutions are the things of past and are now a history .This year is the fourth anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 and all the people should celebrate the total change and Badalti picture of Jammu and Kashmir post abrogation article 370.
The BJP will celebrate the 4th anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 and in this connection various programmes will be held in the country including the inseparable part and parcel Jammu and Kashmir .It should not be only BJP which should celebrate the 4th anniversary of the annulling of the Article 370 which was the root cause of all separatism ,militancy ,alienation of the people and lack of development. .Ever since the abrogation of Article 370,there has been a phenomenal increase in the tourist footfall and the rush of tourists and pilgrim tourists had contributed immensely to the local economy of Jammu and Kashmir and the tourists have become brand ambassadors of changing and peaceful J&K and they themselves have become an advertisement of the fast returning normalcy ,peace and development .
It is no mean development that in year 2022 a record one crore 88 lakh tourists visited Jammu and Kashmir and it points towards the fact that there has been very huge tourist footfall in 2022 and it is a very encouraging development as J&K has got a rightful place in the tourist map of India and these tourists are an economic asset besides having a human, cultural and social importance .So much change had witnessed in Jammu and Kashmir in various sectors that for the normalcy and economic development this part of India is much talked about in India and abroad and it is no ordinary development .
There is definite change in the education sector that schools ,colleges and universities are becoming hub of education activity and the strikes and closures of schools is a thing of past .So far as terrorism is concerned ,there has been 45% fall in terrorist incidents and the fact that there has been no report of cross border terrorism this year .With the historical decision of abrogation of Article 370,the geography of Jammu and Kashmir as well as the politics of this Indian region has changed a lot for good .Like the rest of the country ,every law will be applicable in Jammu and Kashmir .
Article 356 of the constitution which deals with the imposition of presidents rule will now be applicable to Jammu and Kashmir as well as Ladakh since the governors post has been abolished because of the bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh .There is no longer dual citizenship to the subjects of Jammu and Kashmir and this in fact will lead to national integration which is badly required in Jammu and Kashmir .Indian constitution is now fully applicable to Jammu and Kashmir.RTI is also applicable to J&K and also CAG will also be applicable.
Discrimination against women will end after the abrogation of Article 370,if a women of J&K marries a person from outside J&K ,she will not be denied the property rights and this will give gender justice to the women of the UT. We cannot say that the situation in J&K did not improve after abrogation of Article 370,the fact cannot be denied that ,the situation in Jammu and Kashmir has become very good ,but still much remains to be done .One of the outstanding and notable transformed and reformative aspects of the journey has been the implementation of unprecedented transparency in financial management .
Through a number of innovative measures ,the JK administration has instilled trust ,confidence ,accountability and efficiency in its financial processes ,bringing about a significant positive impact on the regions development .There will be no execution of works without administrative approval and E-tendering. The opaque decision making and questionable awarding of the contracts is now a history .The JK administration has enforced a strict policy of financial discipline and to be specific enforced a strict policy of requiring administrative approval and e-tendering for all public work projects .This led to transparency and minimum possibility of corruption and this is the sign and symbol of good governance.
Thus there is less possibility of corruption and malpractice in the public works and governance of the UT. .To ensure that public funds are utilized judiciously and for the intended purposes ,administration has adopted a comprehensive approach to mentoring projects .There is 100% Physical verification and GEO Tagging of works .In a significant move towards digitization ,the government has shifted 121 treasuries to the e-Kuber portal of RBI for the government payments .There has been a steep reduction in construction cost and fast -Tracking of work execution .Through efficient and transparent procurement processes ,the UT has achieved a remarkable reduction in construction costs .
This has resulted in timely completion of projects and accelerating the pace of development across the region. .The traditional approach of budget allocation has been replaced with modern online system ,the Budget Management Application –BEAMS .The UT of Jammu and Kashmir has embraced transparency and accountability by adhering to General Financial Rules-GFR. The journey of Badalta Jammu and Kashmir showcases an inspiring tale of progressive governance .All the above has contributed towards laying groundwork for sustainable development and economic growth .
All these reforms have set new benchmarks for other regions to follow the footsteps of Jammu and Kashmir .In brief there has been a sea change in the Jammu and Kashmir so for as peace ,normalcy and development is concerned .The Badalta J&K has become a beckon light for other states to follow .There are phenomenal and discernable changes in various sectors of Jammu and Kashmir .
Transparency ,accountability and good governance has become the hallmarks of the Badalta Jammu and Kashmir .The BJP is doing a yeoman’s job in celebrating the 4th anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370.There is immense need that people of Jammu and Kashmir should emulate BJP and so celebrate the 4th anniversary of the scrapping of Article 370 with enthusiasm.
(The author is a columnist, social and KP activist)
