Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said Jammu and Kashmir is regaining its identity as “paradise on earth”, leaving behind the difficult days of the past.

He was in the city to inaugurate the strategic 6.4 km-long Sonamarg Tunnel on the Srinagar-Leh highway that is being seen as the first leg to provide all weather road connectivity between J&K and the Union Territory of Ladakh that borders China and Pakistan.

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The tunnel has been built at a cost of more than Rs.2700 crore and bypasses the avalanche prone highway.

The Lieutenant Governor of Jammu & Kashmir, Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, Union Ministers of State, Dr. Jitendra Singh and Ajay Tamta were among those present on the occasion.

Addressing a large gathering after dedicating the tunnel to the nation, Modi said “Jammu and Kashmir of the 21st century is scripting a new chapter of development”. There is an atmosphere of peace in Jammu and Kashmir and the valley is scripting a new story of development. We are seeing its effect on tourism that is increasing with every passing year.

The Prime Minister noted that people now enjoy ice cream at Lal Chowk even at night, and the area remains lively. He praised the local artists for transforming Polo View Market into a new habitat center, with musicians, artists, and singers frequently performing there.

The Prime Minister observed that people in Srinagar now comfortably watch movies with their families in cinema halls and shop with ease. He emphasized that such significant changes cannot be achieved by the government alone and credited the people of Jammu and Kashmir for strengthening democracy and securing their future.

In an obvious reference to CM Omar Abdullah’s demand of restoration of J&K’s statehood, PM said “Modi is known for implementing his promises and all promises will be met at an appropriate time”.

Acknowledging that it was truly the new era of Jammu and Kashmir, Modi mentioned the recent international cricket league held in the region after forty years and car racing scenes around the beautiful Dal Lake. He said that Gulmarg was becoming the winter games capital of India, having hosted four Khelo India Winter Games, with the fifth edition starting next month.

Modi paid homage to the seven workers of the tunnel who were killed in a terrorist attack in October and said that the challenge was accepted by other workers and they have completed the tunnel well within time. The Sonamarg tunnel will make the lives of the people of Sonamarg as well as Kargil and Leh much easier.

Modi said, “Two days ago, CM Omar Abdullah posted some pictures of this place on social media. After seeing those pictures, my eagerness to come here among you increased even more. As the Chief Minister has just told you, I have had a long association with all of you and whenever I come here, I start remembering the days when I used to work as a worker of the BJP.

“I have spent a lot of time in this area. Be it Sonamarg, Gulmarg or Baramulla, we used to travel several kilometres on foot for hours and the snowfall used to be very heavy even then. But the warmth of the people of Jammu and Kashmir is such that we did not feel the cold,” he said.

“A few days ago, I got the opportunity to lay the foundation stone of your own railway division in Jammu. This was your very old demand. Today I have got the opportunity to hand over the Sonamarg Tunnel to the country, he said.

The PM said, “Jammu & Kashmir is now becoming a hub of tunnels and high-rise bridges. The world’s tallest tunnel is being built here, and the world’s tallest rail bridge has been built here on the Chenab. The whole world is amazed to see the engineering of the Chenab bridge. Just last week, the trial run of a passenger train was completed on this bridge”.

Due to better connectivity, tourists will be able to reach those areas of Jammu & Kashmir which are still unexplored. “In 2024, more than 2 crore tourists visited Jammu and Kashmir, with Sonamarg seeing a sixfold increase in tourists over the past ten years”, noted Modi. He emphasized that this growth has benefited local businesses, including hotels, homestays, dhabas, clothing shops, and taxi services.