Amit Shah, India’s Union Home Minister assured that the delimitation process has already started in Jammu & Kashmir, and elections would soon be held there. He made the announcement at the virtual meet where Jammu & Kashmir’s first district good governance index (DGGI) was released. 

Shah promised that assurances had been provided in the Lok Sabha that once situations became more normal in Jammu & Kashmir, the statehood would be returned. 

Not only did Shah hail Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision, but also slammed the opposition for spreading false propaganda. He said, ”

Today is an important day also for the country as what has started from Jammu and Kashmir will be going to other parts of the country. I want to say to the people of Jammu and Kashmir that the Union territory is going through a transformation that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always thought of”, and added, “…only three families were ruling but today there is 30000 public representatives. These families said that after the abrogation of Article 370 the situation in Jammu and Kashmir has worsened but I want to tell them there has been a 40 per cent decrease in terror-related incidents and an 87 per cent decrease in killings”. 

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Further, Shah questioned, “I want to ask these three families why they were not able to do so in the last so many years. Why are they misinforming people”, directing the statement towards former Chief Ministers Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti. 

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Taking the time to congratulate Manoj Sinha, the Lieutenant Governor, Shah said that Jammu & Kashmir is among India’s top five states and Union Territories that implement central government schemes. He noted that the people have directly benefited, as a result. Shah stated, “Several development works are being done in Jammu and Kashmir. Record number of tourists visited Jammu and Kashmir this year. People are receiving direct benefits from the government scheme”. 

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Finally, Shah urged the people of the valley to align themselves with the development path outlined by Prime Minister Modi. Notably, in this regard, the DGGI is expected to serve as a milestone providing a solid framework for making assessments based on evidence, when it comes to the performances of the districts in Jammu & Kashmir.