Jammu, Feb 10: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday lashed out at those terming the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment scheme a “debt trap”, calling securing Rs 3,000 crore under the programme a “big achievement” for the Union territory.

In his reply during the Budget discussions in the Assembly, Abdullah claimed criticism of the scheme stemmed from a lack of understanding of its provisions and long-term financial implications.

“Mr Speaker, one of my young friends spoke at length here about the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) scheme. He became very emotional and said this is some kind of corporate trap, that it is a company debt, corporate debt, and the debt of Adani and Ambani.

“Mr Speaker, it is very important to understand the SASCI scheme. Unfortunately, those who do not understand it are commenting on it,” Abdullah said.

The chief minister said that Jammu and Kashmir would receive an interest-free loan for 50 years under the scheme, and dismissed concerns that the Union territory was being pushed into a debt crisis.

“Mr Speaker, under SASCI, Jammu and Kashmir will receive an interest-free loan for 50 years. One of my young colleagues said that we are drowning Jammu and Kashmir in debt. I want to clarify.

“It has been said that we are being irresponsible. You understand the Budget well. You can estimate the value of the rupee today and what its value will be after 50 years,” he said.

Abdullah also said the government carried out its own financial assessment of the loan.

“If today we take a loan of Rs 3,000 crore, and if after 50 years it becomes Rs 20,000 crore, I would say that it is an issue. We have done our own calculations. If we take a loan of Rs 3,000 crore and look at it with interest and future value, after 50 years, it would be equivalent to only about Rs 97 crore.

“The Rs 3,000 crore that we are taking today will not even be worth Rs 100 crore after 50 years. Does taking this money means being irresponsible? Please tell me, is this irresponsible,” he asked.

Referring to concerns raised by Congress MLA Tariq Hameed Karra, Abdullah said that several states have availed substantial funds under the scheme.

“One of our senior colleagues, Karra Sahib, said that this Rs 100 crore ceiling has been given only to us and that others (states) have not taken money because they want to trap Jammu and Kashmir.

“For the information of Karra Sahib, I would like to provide data about our neighbouring states and how much money they have taken. This scheme was started in 2020-21,” Abdullah said.

He then detailed the loan accounts of two neighouring states – Punjab and Himachal Pradesh – and said, “If we talk about Punjab, in the first year it took Rs 296 crore, in the second year Rs 223 crore, in the third year Rs 800 crore, and in 2024-25 Punjab took Rs 2,070 crore.

“Similarly, look at Himachal Pradesh – in the first year it took Rs 91 crore, then Rs 135 crore the next year, after that Rs 1,270 crore, and then Rs 1,500 crore.”

Taking a dig at his critics, Abdullah said, “Other states are taking so much money… So, if we are able to secure Rs 3,000 crore for our people, I think it is a very big achievement of the government for the people.”

However, the members of the Congress and the PDP expressed apprehensions over the scheme, terming it a “potential debt trap”.

PDP MLA Wahid-ur-Rehman Para questioned the implementation of SASCI in Jammu and Kashmir, and demanded the constitution of a House committee to examine its long-term implications.

“I did not make any wrong demands. I only said that a House committee should be formed. Since the Congress is their (NC) ally, Tariq Karra Sahib should be made the chairman of the committee, which should examine whether this SASCI loan is safe and secure for J-K, or whether it can be dangerous,” Para told reporters outside the Assembly.

Congress MLA Karra said there were apprehensions about the scheme, and cautioned against accepting funds without thorough scrutiny.

“There are some constraints and some apprehensions about SASCI. It should not happen that we blindly accept such funding and use it in the state in a way that traps us in debt. You understand what a debt trap can be,” Karra said.

Jammu, Feb 10: The Northern Railway on Tuesday announced the extension of the train service with the panoramic Vistadome coach to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra from Srinagar, aimed at enhancing travel experience for the tourists and local commuters along the scenic Katra-Baramulla route.

Launched in October 2023, the Vistadome train service in Kashmir features specialised coaches with 360-degree rotating seats, large glass windows, and glass roofs for a panoramic view of the Valley.

The move by the Jammu Division of the Northern Railway is expected to provide the passengers panoramic views of the key engineering marvels on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL), including the world’s highest railway bridge over the Chenab River and India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge.

“The passenger facilities are being continuously expanded in the Jammu Division. From February 11, a special train, which earlier operated between Budgam and Banihal, will be extended up to Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra,” a public relations inspector (PRI) of the Jammu Division said.

In a significant addition to the tourism infrastructure of the Valley, a Vistadome coach has been attached to the special train to offer passengers an enhanced travel experience with a glass roof and large panoramic windows, the PRI said.

Railway officials said the Vistadome coach provides a 360-degree view of the surrounding natural landscape, including mountains, rivers and tunnels, making the journey more attractive for the visitors.

Senior Divisional Commercial Manager, Uchit Singhal, said the initiative is expected to promote tourism and provide the passengers with a comfortable and memorable experience.

“This is a pioneering passenger amenity, offering a view of the sky through a glass roof and unobstructed views of natural beauty through large windows, making the journey exciting,” Singhal said.

The USBRL project, connecting Katra with Baramulla, is considered a major engineering feat designed to link Kashmir with the rest of the country through rail connectivity across the challenging Himalayan terrain.

The project includes several key infrastructural landmarks, including the Chenab bridge in Reasi district, which stands at 359 metres above the riverbed, making it the world’s highest railway arch bridge.

Another highlight is the Anji Khad bridge, India’s first cable-stayed railway bridge, spanning the Anji River in Reasi district with 96 high-tensile cables.

The project also features the T-49 tunnel between Khari and Sumber, the country’s longest transportation tunnel at 12.77 km, besides 38 tunnels covering 119 km and 927 bridges spanning about 13 km.

Jammu, Feb 10: The Jammu and Kashmir government is examining a proposal to increase the monthly honorarium of personal assistants engaged with legislators in the Union Territory.

This was revealed by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in a written reply to a question by Congress MLA Tariq Hameed Karra in the Assembly here on Tuesday.

“A proposal has been received from the Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Department regarding enhancement of the monthly honorarium of personal assistants engaged with MLAs,” he said.

Abdullah further said that the proposal is under examination in the finance department.

Karra had sought to know whether PAs attached with legislators have demanded an increase in their monthly honorarium along with entitlements such as TA and DA at par with the staff of other parliamentarians, and the timeframe for considering the demand.

Jammu, Feb 10: Senior political leader and former Union minister Karan Singh on Tuesday questioned the decision to shut down Vaishno Devi Medical College, calling it an unjustified move that has harmed education, employment, and future academic opportunities in the Jammu region.

Addressing a public gathering in Jammu, Dr Karan Singh said the closure of the medical college was difficult to comprehend, particularly at a time when access to higher education needs expansion rather than contraction. He said the institution had the potential to accommodate an increasing number of local students, including Dogra youth, in the coming years.

Without entering political debate, Singh said shutting down an educational institution should never be a matter of celebration. He said the college was not only a centre of learning but also a significant source of employment and regional pride.

Dr Karan Singh said the decision had deprived future batches of students of opportunities that would have otherwise grown with time, adding that more students from the region would have benefited from the institution in the next academic cycles.

He expressed anguish over what he termed politicization of the issue, stating that decisions related to education must be guided by long-term public interest and social responsibility rather than political narratives. [KNT]