· City declared ‘temporary red zone’
· Roads leading to venue closed for traffic
· No restrictions today, say officials
· Hoardings, flags come up to welcome PM
· Traffic dept issues diversion plan
· Modi to dedicate Rs 5000 cr worth HADP prog to nation
· Several other projects to be launched, dedicated to nation
SRINAGAR, MAR 06: The stage is all set for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s maiden visit to Kashmir today after the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019 while all the roads leading to Bakshi Stadium, the venue for the rally, have been sealed by the authorities.
Tight security arrangements have been put in place for the smooth conduct of the Prime Minister’s rally. Police and paramilitary forces remain guarding outside the venue as well as around the City areas today.
Barricades have been erected at multiple places close to the venue and public transport was not being allowed to ply towards the areas.
Officials confirmed that there will be no restrictions in place on Thursday, but the roads close to the venue will remain closed for public transport to ensure the smooth conduct of the rally.
The Prime Minister after arriving at Srinagar Airport on Thursday morning will drive straight towards the venue where a huge crowd of people is expected to welcome him for the first time after the abrogation of Article 370. He will be received by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and other top-rank officials.
Srinagar Police has, however, stated that the City has been designated a ‘Temporary Red Zone’ for the operation of drones and quadcopters.
The decision, enacted under Rule 24(2) of Drone Rules, 2021, comes into immediate effect, as announced by the Srinagar Police.
“Srinagar city has been declared as “Temporary Red Zone” for the operation of drones and quadcopters, as per provisions of Rule 24(2) of Drone Rules, 2021 with immediate effect,” police said in a post on X.
“All unauthorized drone operations in the Red Zone are liable to be penalized as per relevant provisions of Drone Rules, 2021. As responsible citizens, your cooperation is solicited in this regard,” the statement added.
Inspector General (IG) Traffic, J&K, Bhim Sen Tuti said that a traffic advisory has been issued in view of PM Modi’s visit here while Jehangir Chowk to Rambagh and Rajbagh to LD Hospital-Tulsi Bagh roads will remain completely closed for the public transport from 4:00 AM to 7:00 PM on Thursday.
“Motorists travelling between Jehangir Chowk and Rambagh are advised to use alternative routes through interior roads, specifically the Rambagh-Hyderpora-Moominabad-Batmaloo road instead of the Solina-Magarmal Bagh axis,” said the IGP Traffic. Also, traffic assistance points will be stationed at strategic locations to facilitate smooth movement along these routes,” the IGP Traffic said.
Similarly, motorists traveling from Radio Kashmir-Rajbagh and adjacent areas towards Solina-Rambagh are advised to take the M A/RR Road-Jehangir Chowk Batmaloo-Moominabad-Hyderpora route instead of the Rajbagh-Jawahar Nagar-LD Hospital-Tulsi Bagh Road axis.
Additionally, the movement of vehicles from Panthachowk towards Sonwar and vice versa will be discouraged during this period. “Students appearing for examinations are urged to carry valid ID cards and roll number slips and to reach their examination centres before 8:30 AM and leave after 3:00 PM to avoid any inconvenience, with special arrangements made for them at traffic assistance points,” he said.
He advised motorists to avoid travelling on Gupkar Road and instead use the Dalgate-Nehru park road to reach their destinations.
Furthermore, the hoardings have been erected on the way from Srinagar International Airport to the venue of the rally, welcoming the Prime Minister on his visit.
Besides, nearly 15000 flags of BJP have been erected on the walls, fences and other structures by the party leaders here.
The top BJP leaders, who have been camping in Srinagar for the last couple of days, have made adequate arrangements, expecting a crowd of two lakh people from different parts of the Valley.
A pivotal strategy review meeting was convened at the Bharatiya Janata Party’s office here, sources said.
As the party gears up for a mega rally for the upcoming PM’s visit to the Kashmir Valley, the proceedings were chaired by BJP National General Secretary and Incharge Kashmir, Tarun Chugh.
Moreover, an official communiqué issued here, reads that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reach Bakshi Stadium, Srinagar at around 12 noon, where he will participate in the ‘Viksit Bharat Viksit Jammu Kashmir’ programme.
During the programme, the Prime Minister will dedicate to the nation about Rs 5000 crore worth of programme – the ‘Holistic Agriculture Development Programme’ – for boosting agri-economy in J&K.
He will also dedicate to the nation and launch multiple projects related to the tourism sector worth more than Rs 1400 crore under Swadesh Darshan and PRASHAD (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation And Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive) scheme, including the project for ‘Integrated Development of Hazratbal Shrine’, Srinagar.
Prime Minister will also launch the ‘Dekho Apna Desh People’s Choice Tourist Destination Poll’ and ‘Chalo India Global Diaspora Campaign’. He will also announce tourist destinations selected under the Challenge Based Destination Development (CBDD) Scheme.
Besides, the Prime Minister will distribute appointment orders to about 1000 new Government recruits of Jammu and Kashmir and will also interact with beneficiaries of various government schemes, including women achievers, lakhpati didis, farmers, entrepreneurs etc.
In a step that will provide a major boost to the agri-economy of Jammu and Kashmir, the Prime Minister will dedicate ‘Holistic Agriculture Development Programme’ (HADP) to the nation. HADP is an integrated program encompassing the full spectrum of activities in the three major domains of agri-economy viz Horticulture, Agriculture and Livestock husbandry in Jammu and Kashmir.
The programme is expected to equip about 2.5 lakh farmers with skill development via a dedicated Daksh Kisan portal. Under the programme, about 2000 Kisan Khidmat Ghars will be established and robust value chains will be put in place for the welfare of the farming community. The programme will lead to employment generation benefiting lakhs of marginal families in Jammu and Kashmir.
Prime Minister’s vision is to improve the overall experience of tourists and pilgrims visiting prominent pilgrimage and tourism sites nationwide by building world-class infrastructure and amenities at these sites.
In line with this, the Prime Minister will dedicate to the nation and launch multiple initiatives under the Swadesh Darshan and PRASHAD schemes worth more than Rs 1400 crore.
The projects to be dedicated to the nation by the Prime Minister include the development of ‘Integrated Development of Hazratbal Shrine’ in Srinagar, J&K; tourism facilities developed in Northeast circuit in Meghalaya; Spiritual Circuit in Bihar and Rajasthan; Rural and Tirthankar Circuit in Bihar; development of Jogulamba Devi Temple, Jogulamba Gadwal District, Telangana; and development of Amarkantak Temple, Annupur District, Madhya Pradesh.
Prime Minister will also launch about 43 projects that will develop a wide range of pilgrimage and tourist sites across the country.
During the programme, the Prime Minister will announce 42 tourist destinations selected under the Challenge Based Destination Development (CBDD) Scheme. The innovative scheme, announced during Union Budget 2023-24, aims to provide end-to-end tourist experiences by catalysing the development of tourist destinations while also promoting sustainability and ushering competitiveness in the tourism sector.
The 42 destinations have been identified in four categories (16 in Culture & Heritage Destination; 11 in spiritual destinations; 10 in Ecotourism and Amrit Dharohar; and 5 in Vibrant Village).
Prime Minister will launch the first-ever nationwide initiative to identify the pulse of the nation on tourism, in the form of ‘Dekho Apna Desh People’s Choice 2024’. The aim of the nation-wide poll is to engage with citizens to identify the most preferred tourist attractions and understand tourist perceptions across 5 tourism categories – Spiritual, Cultural & Heritage, Nature & Wildlife, Adventure, and another category. Prime Minister will launch the ‘Chalo India Global Diaspora Campaign’ with an aim to inspire the Indian diaspora to become Incredible India ambassadors and promote tourism to India.
