Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Jammu and Kashmir tomorrow amid unprecedented security on his first tour of the area since the abrogation of article 370 of the Constitution in August 2019 that split the region into two Union Territories.

During his much-anticipated visit, the PM will participate in the celebrations of National Panchayati Raj Day and address all the Gram Sabhas across the country. He will visit Palli Panchayat in Samba district. He will inaugurate and lay the foundation stone of multiple development initiatives worth around Rs 20,000 crore. He will also launch the Amrit Sarovar initiative.

Since the introduction of constitutional reforms in J & K in August 2019, the government has been focused on bringing about wide-ranging reforms to substantially improve governance and enhance ease of living for the people of the region at an unprecedented pace.

The projects being inaugurated and whose foundation stones are being laid in this visit will go a long way in facilitating provision of basic amenities, ensuring ease of mobility and development of infrastructure in the region, the PMO said.

The PM will inaugurate the Banihal Qazigund Road Tunnel, built at a cost of over Rs 3100 crore. The 8.45 Km long tunnel would reduce the road distance between Banihal and Qazigund by 16 km, and reduce journey time by around one and a half hours. It is a twin tube tunnel – one for each direction of travel – with the twin tubes being interconnected by a cross passage every 500m, for maintenance and emergency evacuation. The tunnel would help establish an all-weather connection between Jammu and Kashmir, and bring the two regions closer.

Modi will lay the foundation stone of three road packages of Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway, being built at a cost of over Rs. 7500 crore. They are for the construction of 4/6 lane access controlled Delhi-Katra-Amritsar Expressway from: Balsua on NH-44 to Gurha Baildaran, Hiranagar; Gurha Baildaran, Hiranagar to Jakh, Vijaypur; and Jakh, Vijaypur to Kunjwani, Jammu with spur connectivity to Jammu Airport.

He will also lay the foundation stone of Ratle and Kwar Hydroelectric projects. The 850 MW Ratle Hydroelectric Project will be constructed on Chenab river in Kishtwar District at a cost of around Rs 5300 crore. The 540 MW Kwar Hydroelectric Project will also be built on Chenab river in Kishtwar District at a cost of over Rs. 4500 crore. Both the projects will help meet the power requirements of the region.

In order to further expand the network of Jan Aushadi Kendras in J & K and to make good quality generic medicines at affordable prices available, 100 Kendras have been made functional and will be dedicated to the nation by the PM. These Kendras are located in the remote corners of the UT. He will also inaugurate a 500 KW solar power plant at Palli, which will make it the country’s first panchayat to become carbon neutral.

The PM will hand over SVAMITVA cards to beneficiaries under the scheme. He will also transfer award money to Panchayats which are winners of awards given across different categories on National panchayati Raj Day for their achievements. The PM will also visit the INTACH photo gallery which depicts the rural heritage of the region, and Nokia Smartpur, a rural entrepreneurship-based model designed to create ideal smart villages in India.

With a view to ensuring rejuvenation of water bodies, the PM will also launch a new initiative named Amrit Sarovar. It is aimed at developing and rejuvenating 75 water bodies in each district of the country. It is yet another ode of the government towards the celebration of Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav.