New Delhi, Jan 21: Minister for Food, Civil Supplies & Consumer Affairs, Transport, Information Technology, Youth Services & Sports, Satish Sharma, on Wednesday met Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences and Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Dr. Jitendra Singh and held comprehensive discussion on a wide range of developmental issues pertaining to Jammu and Kashmir.
Satish Sharma apprised the Union Minister of the ongoing development initiatives being undertaken by the UT administration. He highlighted the requirement for enhanced coordination and central support to further accelerate the pace of growth across key sectors in the region.
A detailed discussion was held on infrastructure development, wherein Satish Sharma emphasized the need to expedite major projects related to road connectivity, public utilities and urban infrastructure. He underlined that strengthened infrastructure is vital for economic growth, improved service delivery and balanced regional development, particularly in rural, border and far-flung areas of the Union Territory.
The Minister also raised issues concerning the sports sector, stressing the importance of developing modern sports infrastructure, upgrading existing stadiums and playfields besides expanding training and coaching facilities at the grassroots level. He enumerated that focused investment in sports is essential for harnessing youth potential, promoting fitness and enabling young sportspersons from Jammu and Kashmir to compete at national and international platforms.
Likewise, matters related to the transport sector formed an important part of the discussion. Satish Sharma highlighted the need for strengthening the public transport services, modernising transport infrastructure and improving inter-district and inter-regional connectivity. He emphasized that enhanced transport facilities are crucial for public convenience, tourism promotion and economic activity, especially in remote and hilly regions.
The Minister further discussed issues pertaining to human resource development, underscoring the importance of capacity building, manpower augmentation and skill upgradation across departments.
Satish Sharma also highlighted the role of information technology in governance and called for greater integration of digital platforms to enhance transparency, efficiency and citizen-centric service delivery.
Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh, while responding to the issues projected during the meeting, assured full cooperation and appropriate support from the Government of India for addressing the developmental requirements of Jammu and Kashmir. He reiterated the Centre’s commitment towards the holistic and inclusive development of Jammu and Kashmir.
