36 ministers to visit J&K, five months after repealing of Article 370

In a massive outreach by the central government in Jammu and Kashmir two months after it formally became a Union territory, about 36 union ministers are scheduled to visit it from January 18 to January 25 to meet people and exchange ideas on the possibilities in the region.

While the Citizenship Amendment Act remains on the agenda, the ministers would hold meetings with people to share their views on bifurcation of the state into two union territories after the abrogation of Article 370.

Meetings in Jammu and Kashmir

These ministers are set to hold 51 meetings in Jammu and eight in Kashmir.

The ministers would share the vision and plans of their ministries for the development of the region. A senior leader said the outreach is aimed at strengthening the integration of people of Jammu and Kashmir with the country.

Scope of development

The ministers would interact with the people, exchange ideas on possibilities in the region and discuss the scope of development in various sectors. The feedback would be utilised in bringing complete normalcy in the UT.

According to a senior minister, the outreach programme would be different compared to earlier ones as ministers have been asked to reach out to people at the grassroots level. They have been asked to conduct meetings at the block level and cover every constituency.

“This is an extensive exercise. We need to tell people the benefits of being a resident of a UT and what will it bring to them. It is also an attempt to show them that we care for a prosperous future for them. There is so much to discuss with them,” a source said.

The outreach will take place days after 15 envoys of various nations visited Jammu and Kashmir.