Jammu, Feb 02: “The true meaning of a developed society and a developed nation, extends far beyond infrastructure, modern technology, or economic progress alone. A developed society and nation also signifies a place where people possess strong character, where social values stand firm, and where the social fabric remains bound together in unity,” the Lieutenant Governor Shri Manoj Sinha said on Monday.

He said that the nation’s true identity emerges from the thinking, conduct, and mutual trust of its citizens and it is the youth who create this wealth of thought and conduct.

“At the heart of a developed nation stands youth power. Young people constitute the most energetic, creative, and transformative force of any country. Youth are the drivers of change,” the Lieutenant Governor said.

He was addressing the NCC cadets of NCC Directorate, Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh, who returned from New Delhi after attending the Republic Day Camp.

The Lieutenant Governor lauded the contribution of National Cadets Corps (NCC) in nurturing youth, promoting self-less service and building a developed society and the nation.

He stated that the NCC has inspired generations of youth with the understanding that national interest stands above personal gain, and that working together for society’s welfare represents the true leadership.

“Since 1948, the NCC has provided the country’s youth with a platform where young people from diverse backgrounds unite with a shared purpose. Through camps, training, cultural programs, and social campaigns, the NCC has brought values like discipline, leadership, teamwork, and service into the lives of millions of young people. The NCC has inspired generations of youth with the understanding that national interest stands above personal gain, and that working together for society’s welfare represents true leadership,” the Lieutenant Governor said.

The Lieutenant Governor emphasized that only when young people choose duty over convenience and prioritize society’s welfare over their own interests can a developed society and nation truly take shape.

“When honesty, hard work, and the spirit of service become integral to young people’s lives in society, development ceases to remain confined to statistics- it becomes connected to life values,” he said.

The Lieutenant Governor asked the NCC cadets to focus on self-development.

“Your self-development connects directly to the country’s progress. When NCC cadets and young people in society advance toward excellence in any field with newfound confidence, they not only secure their own future but also contribute to the nation’s progress,” the Lieutenant Governor said.

The Lieutenant Governor highlighted that the NCC cadets in Jammu Kashmir bear the significant responsibility of strengthening brotherhood.

“I want cadets of the Jammu Kashmir Ladakh NCC Directorate to eliminate walls of region, language, caste, and religion through their collective work.

The development is not limited to “I” but is truly connected to “we.” In giving concrete form to this collective spirit, no other organization in India has contributed more than the NCC.

I want you to create feelings of respect and trust in every district’s social fabric through national and international exposure, shared experiences, and common goals. Always remember that mutual brotherhood develops through cooperation, sensitivity, and collective responsibility. All NCC cadets must together create an atmosphere where unity is practiced daily and diversity is transformed into society’s strength,” the Lieutenant Governor said.

The Lieutenant Governor observed that, for contributing to different sectors of developed India, we need leadership founded on ethics and social responsibility. He said, whether in IT, industry, education, armed forces, or culture, work must be done with accountability in all fields.

The Lieutenant Governor commended the Jammu Kashmir Ladakh NCC Directorate for incorporating the drone technology into training, in line with today’s global changes.  “I am fully confident that such initiatives will become not merely the nation’s future but its present strength,” he further said.

The Lieutenant Governor also felicitated the Cadets with the Certificates of Excellence for their significant contributions to the success of the contingent. He complimented the Cadets and NCC officers for their excellent performance on Kartavya Path and at various other competitions.  The Cadets also shared their experience at the Republic Day camp.

A total of 128 cadets of Jammu Kashmir and Ladakh NCC Directorate had participated in this year’s Republic Day celebration.

SUO Arpundeep Kour of 3 J&K Battalion NCC, Baramulla, was conferred with the prestigious Raksha Mantri Padak for her outstanding leadership and service during Op SINDOOR, while Lieutenant Ruksana Kousar was honoured with the Chief of Army Staff Commendation for her dedication and devotion to duty.

In addition, the Directorate secured an impressive 11 DG NCC Medallions and Commendation Cards, reflecting excellence across multiple disciplines. Cadet Tawheed Altaf of 7 J&K Battalion NCC, Baramulla, was appointed Parade Commander of the All India NCC Boys Contingent at Kartavya Path. Adding further distinction, Cadet Samriti Kalhuria of 8 J&K Bn NCC had the rare honour of serving as pilot to the Prime Minister of India during the PM Rally, underscoring the trust and confidence placed in NCC cadets of the Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh.

In recognition of its consistent performance, rapid transformation and outstanding achievements, NCC Directorate Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh was awarded the Director General’s Most Improved Directorate Award and secured an impressive position at the All-India level during Republic Day 2026.

Maj Gen A. Bevli, VSM, Additional Director General of the J&K and Ladakh Directorate, senior Officers and Instructors of J&K and Ladakh NCC Directorate, officials of Lok Bhavan were also present on the occasion.

Jammu, Feb 02: Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary on Monday said that Pakistan’s decisions regarding sporting engagements with India would not affect the country, emphasising that politics should remain separate from sports.

On Sunday, Pakistan announced its decision to boycott its highly anticipated ICC T20 World Cup group match against India, even as the government cleared the national team’s participation for the rest of the tournament, starting February 7.

“If Pakistan doesn’t play, what will happen? If that is their decision, it makes no difference to us. India is a large country, and Pakistan’s actions do not have any impact on us. Therefore, I believe we should not pay much attention to this issue. We prefer not to discuss Pakistan or this topic further,” Choudhary told reporters on the inaugural day of the Budget session of the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly here.

He emphasised that India has always opposed the intersection of politics and sports, as it damages the integrity of the game. “Politics should never intrude into sports because, historically, whenever politics has entered, it has harmed the nature of the sport. This principle should be upheld in every country, and even within our own,” he said.

Replying to a question on the demand for setting up a National Law University (NLU) in Jammu, supported by the BJP and its Leader of the Opposition, the deputy chief minister criticised the LoP, alleging that creating a ruckus would not resolve the larger issues of the Union Territory.

He said the LoP had promised restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir during the election campaign and should clarify the status of that assurance. “Jammu would truly benefit only when statehood is restored,” he said.

BJP MLAs led by Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma joined Jammu University students protesting for the establishment of a National Law University here on Sunday. The legislators asserted on Sunday that they would take up the issue both on the streets and in the Legislative Assembly.

Choudhary credited the Omar Abdullah-led government for stimulating economic activity in Jammu, noting the growth of markets, commercial establishments, and increased business activity attributed to the restoration of the Darbar Move.

He described the revival of the Darbar Move as a historical tradition initiated during the maharaja’s rule, which he claimed was discontinued during the BJP’s tenure in 2021. He rejected allegations of discrimination against Jammu and said the revival of the Darbar Move reflected the government’s balanced approach. “All sections of people in Jammu have benefited from the Darbar Move,” he said.

The deputy chief minister said that key concerns before the people of Jammu and Kashmir include restoration of statehood, protection of land rights and safeguarding employment opportunities for locals.

Choudhary also questioned the absence of local vice-chancellors in universities in Jammu and Kashmir and urged political parties to focus on larger public issues rather than raising what he termed as “smaller matters.”

He expressed hope that the upcoming budget would be designed similarly to a state budget, rather than that of a Union Territory.

The deputy chief minister mentioned that Jammu and Kashmir has experienced significant unemployment over the past 11 years, and that significant events, such as the floods in 2025 and the Pahalgam terror attack, severely impacted tourism in the region.

Choudhary hoped for the presentation of a special package for Jammu and Kashmir to address these challenges.

Jammu, Feb 02: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Monday said the economy of Jammu and Kashmir has demonstrated encouraging momentum in recent years, with the Union Territory recording an annual nominal growth rate of around 11 per cent in 2024-25.

He said that the growth reflects positive outcomes of sustained policy reforms, enhanced infrastructure development and proactive investment facilitation.

“The economy of J&K has demonstrated encouraging momentum in recent years. The Union Territory recorded an annual nominal growth rate of around 11 per cent (2024-25), reflecting the positive outcomes of sustained policy reforms, enhanced infrastructure development, and proactive investment facilitation,” Sinha said while addressing members of Legislative Assembly here at the start of the budget session.

Sinha said the government remains committed to consolidating this growth trajectory through strengthened fiscal discipline and creating diversified and sustainable employment opportunities, with particular emphasis on youth and women.

The Lieutenant Governor said Jammu and Kashmir has emerged as one of the fastest-growing Union Territories in the country, with GST revenue collections increasing from Rs 8,064 crore in 2023-24 to Rs 8,586 crore in 2024-25.

He added that tariff from electric power witnessed a substantial increase of 16 per cent during 2024-25. Highlighting financial assistance, Sinha said the Special Assistance to States for Capital Infusion (SASCI), which provides interest-free loans for capital investments, has been extended to J&K from the current financial year.

He said Rs 1,431 crore has been sanctioned under SASCI for 222 projects, along with Rs 210 crore as matching share for 12 centrally-sponsored schemes.

“The first instalment of Rs 1,083 crore, accounting for 66 per cent of the sanctioned amount, has already been received,” he said.

The Lieutenant Governor said that digital governance has seen significant progress, with the Union Territory recording 82 crore e-transactions during the previous year, averaging over 22 lakh transactions per day.

He said 128 services have been integrated with DigiLocker, while complete Aadhaar seeding of welfare beneficiaries has enabled seamless Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT).

He said that around Rs 9,000 crore has been credited directly to the accounts of 80 lakh beneficiaries through 77 DBT-based schemes during the current financial year.

Sinha added that the government is also formulating a comprehensive Artificial Intelligence strategy to drive innovation and efficiency across priority sectors, including healthcare, agriculture, mobility, education and law enforcement.

Referring to governance reforms, Sinha said the government has laid renewed emphasis on responsive and people-centric administration.

He said regular public grievance redressal meetings at the Chief Minister’s Outreach Office and the strengthening of the JK Samadhan portal have helped resolve thousands of grievances through time-bound interventions.

The Lieutenant Governor also said Jammu and Kashmir Bank has undertaken various reforms with the support of the UT government, including professionalisation of management, merit-based selection of top posts and capital infusion.

He said these measures have resulted in a turnaround of the bank, improving its net non-performing assets and capital adequacy. Highlighting infrastructure development, Sinha said that the road sector has witnessed unprecedented investment of Rs 61,528 crore, covering expressways, national highways, ring roads and tunnels to enhance regional and inter-regional connectivity.

He said that three major tunnels, including the Sonamarg Tunnel, have been completed, while eight others, including the strategic Zojila Tunnel, are at advanced stages of completion.

The Narbal–Shopian–Surankote road has also been declared a National Highway, further strengthening all-weather connectivity across the Pir Panjal region, he added.

Jammu, Feb 02: Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary on Monday said that despite Jammu and Kashmir being a Union Territory, its needs are similar to those of a full-fledged state and the upcoming budget will address those requirements through a special package.

Speaking to reporters outside the Assembly complex, the Deputy Chief Minister said that Jammu and Kashmir requires focused financial support to overcome multiple challenges faced over the past several years.

“Our needs are those of Jammu and Kashmir. Although we are a Union Territory, when the budget is presented today, provisions will be made not from a UT perspective but keeping our State-level requirements in mind. A special package will be provided according to our needs,” he said.

Choudhary said that unemployment has increased significantly in Jammu and Kashmir over the last 11 years and several sectors have suffered setbacks. He pointed out that the region has faced major losses due to floods, security operations, and a sharp decline in tourism after incidents such as Pahalgam.

“Unemployment has risen, many things have gone backward, floods caused heavy damage, Operation Sindoor happened, and after Pahalgam, tourism suffered badly. There are many sectors that need revival and to bring them back into the system, Jammu and Kashmir needs a very big special package,” he added.

Responding to a query about the Chief Minister’s meeting with Union Home Minister Amit Shah, the Deputy Chief Minister said that discussions held in such meetings are confidential in nature.

“The discussions that take place inside are confidential. There is an oath of secrecy, and such matters remain limited to the room,” he said.

Choudhary further said that once the budget is presented, all details will be clear before the public. “As soon as the budget is presented, everything will be before you,” he added. (KNC)