Opinion | Development in Border areas

By Tahir.

Border areas of Jammu and Kashmir are undergoing a new change in terms of development after revocation of Special status of Jammu and Kashmir. People living in border areas of district Kupwara, Baramulla, Bandipora and in border districts of Jammu division have usually been ignored. Lack of good roads, electricity and other basic facilities have badly affected the developmental of these regions. People living in these remote areas are economically weaker but from last few years these areas have become priority of the government. Roads, electricity and other facilities have been made available to several border areas of Jammu and Kashmir. No doubt several steps have been taken which have improved the position of such areas but lot needs to be done.

Due to lack of facilities and problems large number of population have migrated from these area towards towns. Since more schemes are going to be executed and several schemes are already in process due to which it is expected that migration of people from such strategically important areas for better living opportunities shall be minimised. One of the big and bold decision of the government is introduction of border tourism. This decision has opened avenues of economic development for the people of border areas. Areas like Keran, Machil, Bangus, Tanghdar, Gurez, and Uri along the LoC in Kashmir, which were used as infiltration routes for terrorists are now new tourist destinations . People living in these areas have started to reap the dividends of this concept and it is expected that tourism in these areas will change the scenario altogether. The arrival of visitors in these areas has been given a flip to the fragile economy of the border areas. It seems that government of India has taken development of the border areas as priority as is evident.

In the month of June 2022 Secretary Planning Development & Monitoring Department, chaired a meeting to review the implementation of Border Area Development Programme (BADP) in the border districts of Jammu and Kashmir. It was attended by Director General BADP, PD&MD, representatives of GOC 9 Corps, 15 Corps, Beacon, Border Security Force(BSF) and other concerned officers. Directions were passed to complete the projects before 31st March, 2023 by adhering to the BADP guidelines. Border Area Development Programme (BADP) is a Programme of the Central Government to bring about development of border areas by supplementing the UT Plan Funds to bridge the gaps in socio- economic infrastructure on one hand and improving the security environment in border areas on the other. A new revamped BADP scheme is likely to be launched by Ministry of Home Affairs which will further contribute.

Though government has done a lot to develop the border areas but some border areas are still without good road connectivity. However government seems keen to provide all facilities to the border population. This year in the month of June Union Minister for Road Transport Nitin Gadkari has said that the border road development has changed the face of Jammu and Kashmir. These remarks were passed by the Minister at the Mint Mobility Conclave 2022, heaping praise on all the people involved in the planning and development of border roads which he said has strengthened the security. He further added that,“Our borders had no roads while China has built such roads long time ago. This had to end. In J&K alone, Rs 65000 crore worth of roads are now being built. Srinagar-Jammu road alone has six tunnels. Whether it is Pakistan or China, we have build border roads which didn’t exist earlier,” he said, adding that more roads are being planned to strengthen border security.

People living in border areas face several hardships which need to be resolved at an earliest. Better road connectivity through the year, construction of tunnels to bypass snowbound roads, electricity, quality education, quality health care facility, Mobile/internet connectivity and several such other facilities must be provided to all the border areas of Jammu and Kashmir to avoid migration of the people living in these area towards cities and towns.