Want to invest in J&K? Here is Centre’s proposed roadmap

New Delhi: A month after the abrogation of Article 370, the Centre has prepared a roadmap for the development of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, sources said.

Around 10 Union Ministries joined hands to speed up development work in Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, which will come into existence as union territories on October 31.

The Home Ministry will raise additional one battalion each of Border Security Force (BSF) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) for Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh in order to create job opportunities for youth.

The Finance Ministry has made a massive investment plan for both the regions, under which investors, who will invest in Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh will not pay taxes for seven years, they told ANI.

While the Human Resource Development Ministry, which is supervised by Ramesh Pokhriyal, will open new schools and colleges to promote technical education in the regions, the Union Health Ministry will focus on health infrastructure and motivate top health sector institutions to open their branches.

As tourism is considered as bread and butter for Jammu and Kashmir and Laddakh, the Tourism Ministry will work on ways to make these regions more attractive for tourists so that locals can make it a primary source of income.

The Food Processing Ministry will work out a long term plan to create better opportunities for fruit growers and the Renewable Energy Ministry will install solar energy plants in Ladakh while power Ministry is working on a blueprint for low tariff rate in Jammu and Kashmir.

Union home secretary A K Bhalla had conducted a high level meeting in the Ministry of Home Affairs on August 27 with Secretaries of different Union Ministries to chalk out a plan for "Mission Kashmir". In this meeting, Bhalla told the Ministries to prepare a new roadmap for the development of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.