Security forces on maximum alert ahead of PM’s Feb 20 visit to J&K

Jammu: Security forces were on maximum alert on Monday ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s February 20 visit to Jammu and Kashmir (J&K).

Security forces have set up checkpoints at all entry and exit points in Srinagar and Jammu.

Random checking of vehicles, frisking of occupants and scanning of luggage etc has been increased ahead of the VVIP visit.

The special focus of the security forces is on the Valley and border areas in order to prevent any disruptive terrorist activities during the Prime Minister’s visit.

In order to prevent attacks and keep anti-national elements at bay, the security forces have increased patrolling on highways, sensitive and vulnerable spots and are maintaining tight vigil.

All high-rise buildings around the MA Stadium in Jammu city have been taken over by Commandos and sharpshooters of the forces to secure the venue of Modi’s public rally which is expected to be attended by over one lakh people.

All official events, including inaugurations/dedications/foundation stone laying functions of development projects worth over Rs 30,500 crore will be held at the MA Stadium during Modi’s two-hour-long programme.

The projects relate to several sectors including health, education, rail, road, aviation, petroleum and civic infrastructure among others.

While in Jammu, the PM will inaugurate AIIMS, Vijaypur (Samba) the institute, whose foundation stone was also laid by him in February 2019.

During the visit the Prime Minister will also distribute appointment orders to 1,500 new Government recruits of Jammu and Kashmir.

The Rs 13,375 crore projects which the Prime Minister will dedicate to the nation include the permanent campuses of IIT-Bhilai, IIT-Tirupati, IIT-Jammu and IIITDM Kancheepuram.

The Prime Minister will also inaugurate three new IIMs in the country, IIM-Jammu, IIM-Bodh Gaya and IIM-Visakhapatnam.

He will also inaugurate 20 new Kendriya Vidyalayas (KVs) and 13 new Navodaya Vidyalayas (NVs) across the country.

Modi will also lay the foundation stone of five Kendriya Vidyalaya campuses, one Navodaya Vidyalaya campus and five multipurpose halls for Navodaya Vidyalayas across the country.

He will lay the foundation stone for a new terminal building at Jammu Airport.

The Prime Minister will dedicate to the nation various rail projects in Jammu and Kashmir including the new rail line between Banihal-Khari-Sumber-Sangaldan (48 kms) and the newly-electrified Baramulla-Srinagar-Banihal-Sangaldan section (185.66 kms).

Modi will also flag off the first Electric Train in the Valley and also a train service between Sangaldan and Baramulla stations.

The Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone of important road projects including two packages (44.22 kms) of the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway connecting Jammu to Katra; phase two for four-laning of the Srinagar Ring Road; five packages for upgrading the 161 km-long Srinagar-Baramulla-Uri stretch of NH-01; and the construction of Kulgam Bypass and Pulwama bypass on NH-444.

He will also lay the foundation of nine industrial estates covering 2210 kanals, construction and upgradation of 62 road projects and 42 bridges, 2,816 flats for Kashmiri migrants at nine places in Anantnag, Kulgam, Kupwara, Shopian and Pulwama Districts of the Valley, upgradation/revamping of Transport Nagar at Parimpora in Srinagar.

The 85 projects that will be virtually inaugurated by the Prime Minister, include transit accommodation of 224 flats for Kashmiri migrants at Ganderbal and Kupwara, Drug Testing Laboratory at Kathua, Grid Stations, Receiving Stations and Transmission Line projects in both Jammu and Kashmir divisions, modernisation of the Narwal Fruit Mandi, five Common Effluent Treatment Plants in Samba and an Intelligent Traffic Management System in Srinagar City among others.

The last public rally addressed by the Prime Minister in J&K was on April 24, 2022 at Palli Panchayat in Samba District.

The BJP has two seats in the outgoing Lok Sabha, Jammu-Poonch and Udhampur-Kathua. The former is represented by Jugal Kishore Sharma and the latter by Dr. Jitendra Singh.

During the 2024 elections, the BJP is also eyeing the south Kashmir Lok Sabha seat that has Poonch and Rajouri districts of Jammu division in addition to Anantnag and Kulgam Districts of the Valley after the new delimitation of constituencies in J&K.