PM to visit J-K tomorrow; package for border areas on cards

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh is expected to announce a package for border districts of Jammu and Kashmir when he travels there tomorrow along with UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi on a two-day visit.


The package will be for development and reconstruction of the border areas, sources told PTI here today but refused to reveal details of the "gift".

Singh and Gandhi will also launch train service on a railway section between Qazigund in Kashmir and Banihal in Jammu region that will provide an all-weather link to the Valley which often gets cut off from rest of the country in the winter season due to heavy snowfall.

During his stay in Srinagar, Singh will also take stock of the implementation of the Rs 37,000-crore reconstruction package for the state he had initiated in 2004 under the Prime Minister's Reconstruction Plan.

The Plan involves 67 projects and schemes covering 11 sectors of the economy including expansion of infrastructure and basic services and employment generation.

Ahead of the visit, Singh reviewed implementation of the Plan at a meeting where it was noted that 34 projects and schemes have been completed and work in 28 is in progress, the sources said.

Among the projects completed are setting up of 1,000 micro hydro-electric projects, electrification of all villages, expansion of total literacy campaign to remaining three districts of Kargil, Poonch and Doda and training to enhance skills of youth for IT/BPO sector in Jammu and Srinagar.