Jammu, Jan 26: Asserting that peace was must for development, Governor NN Vohra Thursday asked the security forces to be vigilant along the frontiers “so as to foil the designs of adversary elements operating from across the border”.
“After the turmoil of last three summers, the spurt of economic activity during 2011 clearly demonstrated that progress can be achieved only when normalcy prevails. The stable environment during the past year attracted nearly one crore and twenty lakh pilgrims and tourists, including over thirty two thousand foreigners, to the State”, the Governor said after hoisting tricolor at the state level function on the occasion of the 63rd Republic Day, at Moulana Azad Stadium, here this morning.
The Governor said the State Police, Central Police organizations and the Army have continued to brave all odds to safeguard the territorial integrity of the State. He said their devotion and commitment has led to a progressive decline in infiltration from across the Line of Control and consequent reduction in militancy-related incidents. He lauded the brave officers and men of the Security Forces and paid homage to the soldiers who laid down their lives for the country.
The Governor said in the past over six decades, despite serious challenges and constraints, the country has been able to achieve commendable progress in varied arenas. “The disturbed situation in Jammu and Kashmir in the past years has adversely affected its growth and development. Nonetheless, the average annual growth rate and the year to year growth in tax collections have shown positive trends in the past four years”.
He said the State Government has launched a programme for enabling the unemployed youth to establish projects in identified sectors of the State economy. The Government of India have launched fully funded programs under which about one and a half lakh youth of the State will be imparted training and skills to become employable in the private sector, across the country, over the next five years.
Referring to the arena of higher education, the Governor said the State has seven Universities and two important technology training institutions. Two new Central Universities and over a hundred new colleges, ITIs and Polytechnics are presently in the process of getting established. There are also nearly 250 privately run educational institutions in the State which are affiliated to our Universities. Significant expansion and upgradation is also taking place at the school level, both in the public and private sectors.
The Governor said that as per the last Census, the literacy rate has improved to 68%. He said that high importance must be given to enhance the spread of literacy, devoting particular attention to the advancement of female literacy. Side by side, the drop out rate at the Primary and Upper Primary levels and the number of “out of school” children must continue to be reduced till every child goes to school.
Referring to the Power sector, the Governor observed that the acute shortage of power has continued to adversely affect the economic development of the State. The very high transmission and distribution losses and the poor recovery of dues from the electricity consumers have created further problems. He said while the enactment of the Energy Conservation Act and the functioning of Electricity Regulatory Authority are positive developments it is extremely important that new power projects are launched very early and Power sector reforms are carried out on a time bound basis.
The Governor said that the State Government has received significant funds for its annual Plans, assistance under the Prime Minister’s Reconstruction Programme and, besides, financial and technical support under a broad spectrum of Centrally Sponsored Schemes.
The Governor said that if the State administrative apparatus is to provide good governance and deal effectively with the obtaining problems and upcoming challenges it would be of vital importance to ensure transparency in functioning at all levels and complete accountability of both the elected and appointed elements of the Executive. All corrupt and unwholesome elements must be eradicated from the governmental machinery, he said adding for cleaning up the system it would be also necessary to ensure that the various statutory bodies and commissions which are established to serve as the watchdogs of the right of information, human rights, vigilance, accountability and anti-corruption are manned by persons known for their proven competence and unimpeachable integrity.
He observed that adversary elements operating from across the borders have not given up their malicious resolve to disturb and destabilize our country and said that the Security Forces must maintain constant vigil along the frontiers.
“After the turmoil of last three summers, the spurt of economic activity during 2011 clearly demonstrated that progress can be achieved only when normalcy prevails. The stable environment during the past year attracted nearly one crore and twenty lakh pilgrims and tourists, including over thirty two thousand foreigners, to the State”, the Governor said after hoisting tricolor at the state level function on the occasion of the 63rd Republic Day, at Moulana Azad Stadium, here this morning.
The Governor said the State Police, Central Police organizations and the Army have continued to brave all odds to safeguard the territorial integrity of the State. He said their devotion and commitment has led to a progressive decline in infiltration from across the Line of Control and consequent reduction in militancy-related incidents. He lauded the brave officers and men of the Security Forces and paid homage to the soldiers who laid down their lives for the country.
The Governor said in the past over six decades, despite serious challenges and constraints, the country has been able to achieve commendable progress in varied arenas. “The disturbed situation in Jammu and Kashmir in the past years has adversely affected its growth and development. Nonetheless, the average annual growth rate and the year to year growth in tax collections have shown positive trends in the past four years”.
He said the State Government has launched a programme for enabling the unemployed youth to establish projects in identified sectors of the State economy. The Government of India have launched fully funded programs under which about one and a half lakh youth of the State will be imparted training and skills to become employable in the private sector, across the country, over the next five years.
Referring to the arena of higher education, the Governor said the State has seven Universities and two important technology training institutions. Two new Central Universities and over a hundred new colleges, ITIs and Polytechnics are presently in the process of getting established. There are also nearly 250 privately run educational institutions in the State which are affiliated to our Universities. Significant expansion and upgradation is also taking place at the school level, both in the public and private sectors.
The Governor said that as per the last Census, the literacy rate has improved to 68%. He said that high importance must be given to enhance the spread of literacy, devoting particular attention to the advancement of female literacy. Side by side, the drop out rate at the Primary and Upper Primary levels and the number of “out of school” children must continue to be reduced till every child goes to school.
Referring to the Power sector, the Governor observed that the acute shortage of power has continued to adversely affect the economic development of the State. The very high transmission and distribution losses and the poor recovery of dues from the electricity consumers have created further problems. He said while the enactment of the Energy Conservation Act and the functioning of Electricity Regulatory Authority are positive developments it is extremely important that new power projects are launched very early and Power sector reforms are carried out on a time bound basis.
The Governor said that the State Government has received significant funds for its annual Plans, assistance under the Prime Minister’s Reconstruction Programme and, besides, financial and technical support under a broad spectrum of Centrally Sponsored Schemes.
The Governor said that if the State administrative apparatus is to provide good governance and deal effectively with the obtaining problems and upcoming challenges it would be of vital importance to ensure transparency in functioning at all levels and complete accountability of both the elected and appointed elements of the Executive. All corrupt and unwholesome elements must be eradicated from the governmental machinery, he said adding for cleaning up the system it would be also necessary to ensure that the various statutory bodies and commissions which are established to serve as the watchdogs of the right of information, human rights, vigilance, accountability and anti-corruption are manned by persons known for their proven competence and unimpeachable integrity.
He observed that adversary elements operating from across the borders have not given up their malicious resolve to disturb and destabilize our country and said that the Security Forces must maintain constant vigil along the frontiers.
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