The Prime Minister (PM) of India Narendra Modi visited Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) to address the Viksit Bharat Viksit Jammu Kashmir program at Bakshi Stadium in Srinagar.
- He unveiled Dekho Apna Desh, People’s Choice 2024, the first-ever nationwide tourist destination poll by the Ministry of Tourism to identify the pulse of the nation on tourism.
- He also launched the Chalo India Global Diaspora Campaign and dedicated to the nation multiple development projects worth more than Rs 6,400 crore.
Note: This marks his first visit to J&K after the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019.
About Dekho Apna Desh, People’s Choice 2024:
i.The nationwide poll aims to identify top tourist attractions and understand perceptions across five categories: spiritual, cultural, nature/wildlife, adventure, and others.
- The other’category allows voting for personal favorites, revealing undiscovered tourism gems like border villages, wellness, and wedding tourism.
ii.The poll exercise is being hosted on the MyGov platform.
iii.This initiative will enable the Ministry of Tourism to identify destinations for development towards Viksit Bharat@2047.
Chalo India Global Diaspora Campaign:
i.The ‘Chalo India Global Diaspora Campaign’ aims to motivate the Indian diaspora to become Incredible India ambassadors and promote tourism to India.
ii.The campaign is in line with PM’s call for Indian diaspora to urge at least five non-Indian friends to visit India.
iii.With over 30 million overseas Indians, the diaspora can significantly boost Indian tourism as cultural ambassadors.
Launch of Projects worth Rs 6,400 cr in J&K:
PM Modi inaugurated development projects worth around Rs 6,400 crore which includes Holistic Agriculture Development Programme (HADP) worth about Rs 5,000 crore to boost the region’s agricultural economy.
- He dedicated tourism-related projects worth more than Rs 1,400 crore under the Swadesh Darshan and PRASHAD (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive) schemes.
About HADP:
i.The HADP initiative combines agriculture, horticulture, and livestock in Jammu and Kashmir.
ii.It aims to help around 250,000 farmers through skill development via the Daksh Kisan portal.
iii.Additionally, it will set up 2000 Kisan Khidmat Ghars and strengthen value chains for farmers’ welfare.
Key Points:
i.The projects dedicated to the nation include development of ‘Integrated Development of Hazratbal Shrine’ in Srinagar; Tourism facilities developed in Northeast circuit in Meghalaya; Spiritual Circuit in Bihar and Rajasthan; Rural and Tirthankar Circuit in Bihar; Development of Jogulamba Devi Temple, Jogulamba Gadwal District, Telangana; and development of Amarkantak Temple, Annupur District, Madhya Pradesh (MP).
ii.He launched about 43 projects that will develop a wide range of pilgrimage and tourist sites across India.
iii.He also revealed 42 tourist spots chosen under the Challenge Based Destination Development (CBDD) Scheme which was introduced during the Union Budget 2023-24. This aims to enhance tourist experiences while promoting sustainability and competitiveness in the tourism sector.
- The 42 destinations identified in 4 categorized viz. Culture & Heritage (16), Spiritual (11), Ecotourism and Amrit Dharohar (10), and Vibrant Village (5).
iv.The PM handed out appointment orders to around 1000 new Government recruits in Jammu and Kashmir and engaged with beneficiaries of diverse government schemes, including women achievers, farmers, and entrepreneurs.
Recent Related News:
i.PM Narendra Modi inaugurated the 17 Kilometer (Km) priority section of the Delhi-
Ghaziabad-Meerut Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) Corridor at Sahibabad RapidX Station in Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh (UP).
ii.Prime Minister Narendra Modi released three books, including ‘Ashtadhyayi Bhashya’, ‘Ramanandacharya Charitam’, and ‘Bhagwan Shri Krishna ki Rashtraleela‘, during his visit to Tulsi Peeth in Chitrakoot, Madhya Pradesh.
About Jammu & Kashmir (J&K):
Lieutenant Governor– Manoj Sinha
Wildlife Sanctuaries– Limber Wildlife Sanctuary, Nandini Wildlife Sanctuary
Airports– Srinagar International Airport (Sheikh ul-Alam International Airport), Jammu airport Satwari Airport
