Union minister Piyush Goyal has marked the first anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 by posting a tweet which said that the move ushered in justice, peace and prosperity for common man.
“Ushering in justice, peace & prosperity for common man. PM @NarendraModi ji undid decades of darkness to bring development & opportunities to Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh. Abrogating Article 370, HM @AmitShah ji unified nation & empowered people of these UTs to shape their future,” Goyal tweeted on Wednesday.
Article 370 was abrogated on August 5, 2019, which stripped erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir of its special status and split it into two union territories – Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
A year later, the security situation in the region has not only stabilised but also progressively improved with more support from the people, multiple army, police, and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officers said.
According to government data, the number of violent incidents in Kashmir was down to 120 from January to July, compared to 198 during the same time last year.
The stone-throwing incidents – 102 – have also significantly reduced this year. Nearly 532 such incidents were reported in 2018 and 389 in 2019.
Officials said terrorists are unable to carry out grenade attacks due to a robust presence and better coordination between security forces.Only 21 grenade attacks have been reported so far this year as compared to 52 during the same period in 2019.
Officials said the influence of separatists or terror groups in calling for bandhs has also diminished with only four strike calls this year compared to 30 in 2019.
In terms of strengthening the democratic apparatus, the Jammu and Kashmir administration on Tuesday approved the creation of Block Development Fund of Rs 25 lakh which will be at the disposal of block development council chairpersons.
Government spokesperson Rohit Kansal said the decision has been taken by Lieutenant Governor Girish Chander Murmu with a view to strengthen and empower the panchayati raj system in Jammu and Kashmir.
The administration last week announced a life insurance cover of Rs 25 lakh each to all elected members of panchayati raj institutions (PRIs) and urban local bodies (ULBs) of the union territory in case of death due to a terror-related incident.The decision is aimed at strengthening the grassroots democracy by providing a sense of security to the elected members of local bodies who are under constant threat from terrorists, an official spokesman had said.
