New Delhi, February 28:Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will arrive (rpt) arrive in Jammu on Thursday on a two-day visit during which he would participate in the convocation ceremony of Sher-e-Kashmir Agriculture University besides handing over nearly 800 houses to Kashmiri migrants.
This is the first visit of Singh to Jammu during his second term as Prime Minister.
During his stay in the winter capital of the state, the Prime Minister is expected to make some announcements which includes employment schemes for the youths and also central assistance in helping the Basmati farmers, whose plight has been raised by state Chief Minister Omar Abdullah with the
Centre, official sources said.
The Basmati growers have requested for enhancing the minimum support price and also help them in the export market.
The Prime Minister will also be addressing the annual convocation of Sher-e-Kashmir Agricultural University besides handing over near 800 of the 2400 flats meant for Kashmiri migrant pandits, they said.
The sources said that Singh may also announce a special employment package if the Rangarajan Committee set up for looking ways in generating the employment opportunities in the state submits its report ahead of that.
The Budget has announced Rs 8000 crore special package for Kashmir besides a separate Rs 150 crore for Jammu region and Rs 100 crore for Ladakh based on the recommendations of the two task forces set up to go into allocations in terms of infrastructure needs and make suitable recommendations to
overcome the deficiencies.
While Abhijit Sen, a Planning Commission member, was leading a task force on Jammu, Narendra Jadhav, another Planning Commission member, was the chairperson of the team on Ladakh.
The two task forces have been constituted keeping in view the immediate objectives to maintain peace and order and defuse the situation through confidence building measures.
The terms and references of the two task forces was to identify the special development needs of the region and suggest measures to address them and to examine allocations to the regions in terms of infrastructure needs. They will make suitable recommendations to overcome the deficiencies.
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