On 20 February 2024, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi spearheaded a momentous event in Jammu, inaugurating and dedicating a slew of development projects worth Rs 32,000 crores. These projects span various critical sectors such as health, education, transportation, and infrastructure. Prime Minister Modi also distributed appointment letters to around 1,500 new Government recruits from Jammu and Kashmir and engaged with beneficiaries of diverse government schemes under the ‘Viksit Bharat Viksit Jammu’ initiative.
AIIMS Jammu: Pioneering Healthcare
To provide comprehensive healthcare services to the people of Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Vijaypur (Samba), Jammu. With an investment exceeding Rs 1,660 crore and sprawling over 227 acres, the state-of-the-art hospital is equipped with 720 beds, a medical college, a nursing college, an AYUSH block, residential accommodations, and specialized departments covering 18 specialties and 17 super specialties.
Expansion of Jammu Airport
Prime Minister Modi laid the foundation stone for a new terminal building at Jammu Airport, aimed at enhancing passenger experience and showcasing local culture. Spanning 40,000 sq. m. the terminal will accommodate about 2,000 passengers during peak hours, incorporating modern amenities while emphasizing environmental sustainability.
Advancing Rail and Road Connectivity
Various rail projects in Jammu & Kashmir, including a new rail line and electrification initiatives, were dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Modi, promising improved connectivity and economic development. Additionally, the Prime Minister initiated crucial road projects, including segments of the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway and upgrades to the Srinagar Ring Road and NH-01, aiming to ease congestion, enhance connectivity, and promote tourism and economic growth in the region.
CUF Petroleum Depot: Fostering Infrastructure
The Prime Minister also laid the foundation stone for the CUF (Common User Facility) Petroleum depot in Jammu, a state-of-the-art facility poised to elevate storage capabilities for various petroleum products, contributing to the region’s infrastructure development.
Community Services Projects
The Prime Minister also inaugurated/laid the foundation stone of several development projects worth more than Rs 3150 crores for strengthening the civic infrastructure and provisioning of public facilities across Jammu and Kashmir. The projects being inaugurated by the Prime Minister include Road projects and Bridges, Grid Stations, receiving stations transmission line Projects, Common Effluent Treatment Plants and Sewage Treatment Plants, Several Degree College buildings, an Intelligent Traffic Management system in Srinagar city, Modern Narwal Fruit Mandi, Drug Testing Laboratory at Kathua, and Transit accommodation – 224 flats at Ganderbal and Kupwara.
The projects whose foundation stones are being laid include the development of five new Industrial Estates across Jammu and Kashmir, the Data Centre/ Disaster Recovery Centre for Integrated Command and Control Centre of Jammu Smart City, Upgradation of Transport Nagar at Parimpora Srinagar, Upgradation of 62 road projects and 42 bridges and project for development of transit accommodation – 2,816 flats at nine locations in Anantnag, Kulgam, Kupwara, Shopian & Pulwama districts.
During the day, the PM also launched the following projects.
Education and Skilling facilities across India
To enhance the educational and skilling facilities across the nation, Prime Minister Modi inaugurated and laid the foundation stones for projects worth Rs 13,375 crores. The momentous occasion witnessed the dedication of permanent campuses for esteemed institutions like IIT Bhilai, IIT Tirupati, IISER Tirupati, and IIITDM Kurnool, alongside academic and residential complexes at IIT Patna and IIT Ropar. Additionally, two permanent campuses for Central Sanskrit University in Devprayag (Uttarakhand) and Agartala (Tripura) were inaugurated. The event also witnessed the opening of permanent campuses for IIM Visakhapatnam, IIM Jammu, and IIM Bodh Gaya, along with the unveiling of the Indian Institute of Skills (IIS) in Kanpur, pioneering advanced technology skill training.
Augmenting Higher Education Infrastructure
Prime Minister Modi also inaugurated improved facilities including hostels, academic blocks, administrative buildings, and libraries across multiple institutes such as IIT Jammu, NIT Delhi, IIT Kharagpur, NIT Durgapur, IISER Behrampur, NIT Arunachal Pradesh, IIIT Lucknow, IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, and Central University of Kerala Kasaragod.
He also laid the foundation stones for the construction of permanent campuses for Sindhu Central University and IIIT Raichur, and the development of academic blocks, hostels, and staff quarters in prominent institutes like IIT Bombay, IIT Gandhinagar, and BHU.
