PM inaugurates Rs 385 Cr KP township at Jagti

 Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday inaugurated the Satellite Township at Jagti near Nagrota for Kashmiri Pandits.

 The inauguration of the housing complex was marked by the handing over of allotment orders by the Prime Minister to 12 beneficiaries selected 3 each from Kashmiri Pandit camps at Muthi, Purkhoo, Nagrota and Mishriwala.

The Satellite Township envisages construction of 4218 two room flats, two schools (one higher secondary school and one middle school), one 40 bedded hospital, one health centre, 17.75kms roads, 38 parks, one old age home, a community centre, separate water supply scheme, 2x10 MVA Power station connected with 41 sub-stations, proper arrangement for sewerage and drainage and commercial complexes including spaces for bank and post office.

Being built under the Prime Minister's Reconstruction Plan (PMRP) at a revised cost of Rs. 385 Crore, the project comprised two phases. 2112 flats have been completed in full and rest are expected by the end of March this year. The allotment of the flats will start soon and the shifting of migrant families from the camps is likely to begin in the month of April.

It was in November 2004 that Prime Minster Manmohan Singh during his visit to Muthi migrant camp had announced the construction of more than 5000 two-room flats for the Kashmiri Pandits  living in the camps here. Later in July 2007, PM laid the foundation stone for the satellite township comprising 4200 two rooms sets at Jagti near Nagrota in the outskirts of Jammu city. The township is constructed on 716 kanals of land.

Speaking on the occasion, the Prime Minister said that he had envisioned this project after visiting Jammu in 2004 and taking stock of the difficult living conditions of Kashmiri migrants in the camps. “It was thought that each KP family should at least be provided 2-room tenement to live in comfortable conditions”, he said adding that the project was planned accordingly.

He expressed the hope that the situation in Valley would become normal and Kashmiri Pandits, who had to live as refugees in their own country, would return back in peaceful atmosphere and live in tranquility and peace.

Earlier, he handed over allotment orders to 12 beneficiaries KP families.

In his opening remarks, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said the lack of sense of security compelled Kashmiri Pandits to leave the Valley. “When we are able to create peaceful and conducive conditions in the Valley and restore the sense of security in them, they will love to return even if they might be living in palatial houses.

“Till that time Government wants them to live comfortably in the Satellite Township at Jagti”, he said and thanked the Prime Minister for handing over the allotment orders to some of the beneficiaries symbolically at today’s function.

Governor, N. N Vohra, Union Minister for Health Ghulam Nabi Azad, Deputy Chief Minister, Tara Chand, Minister for Revenue, Raman Bhalla, Members of the State Council of Ministers, JKPCC Chief, Prof. Saif-ud-Din Soz, Parliament Member, Legislators, senior officers and members of the migrant families were present on the occasion.

Minister for Revenue and Relief, Raman Bhalla and Minister of State for Revenue and Housing, Nasir Aslam Wani presented a shawl and a memento to the Prime Minister on the occasion.

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