Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that the idea of 'Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat' is to bridge distances between different parts of the country.
Addressing a mammoth rally at Palli Gram Panchayat in Samba district, Modi said, "The day is not far away when the Devi of Kanyakumari will meet Vaishno Devi with a single road.
"When I speak about 'Ek Bharat, Shreshtha Bharat', our focus is on connectivity and bridging distances. Our aim is to provide all-weather connectivity to J&K.
"Work is going on at fast pace to give new impetus to development of Jammu and Kashmir which is also an example of 'sabka saath, sabka vikas," Modi said.
Speaking of the recent boom in tourism industry of Kashmir, the Prime Minister said that tourism is also thriving in the valley again.
Speaking about the transparency in the functioning of the government, he said, "Earlier, a file that was initiated for the development of J&K took 2-3 months to reach the state, today, it reaches the state within three weeks."
He said many investors have now come forward to invest in J&K and this would give an impetus to both employment and industry here.
"A new story of development is being written in Jammu & Kashmir. Many private investors are interested to come to J&K," he said.
Speaking about the lack of opportunities to the underprivileged classes in J&K in the past, he says, "Those who did not get the benefit of reservation for years in Jammu and Kashmir are now getting the benefit of reservation.
"All the schemes of the central governments are being implemented in the Valley. People are using the schemes to their benefits," he said.
Talking about the devolution of power to the grassroots level in the country that has become possible because of the empowerment of the Panchayati Raj, he said, "It is a matter of great pride that democracy has reached grassroots in Jammu and Kashmir.
"I greet everyone on National Panchayati Raj Day. Today is a big day for Jammu and Kashmir", he said.
"Today, Jammu and Kashmir is presenting a new example for the whole country. In the last few years, Kashmir has created a new dimension for law and development.
"Palli is on the way to become India's first carbon-neutral panchayat. I congratulate people of Jammu and Kashmir," he said, adding that "today it seems that after decades the people of Jammu and Kashmir are a part of such a gathering."
