Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri has announced that the technical survey of the 175-km Gurdaspur-Jammu gas pipeline has been completed and a final decision on the prestigious project will be taken this month. Speaking to reporters, the Minister of Housing, Urban Affairs, Petroleum and Natural Gas stated that the pipeline will enhance the energy security of the region by facilitating the transportation of natural gas from Gurdaspur in Punjab to Jammu, providing a reliable and cleaner energy source to meet the growing energy demands of these regions.
Puri also announced that a real estate summit is on the cards in Srinagar shortly following the successful first-ever such event in Jammu in December 2021. Referring to the December 2021 summit, he said the Union Territory has great significance for the country and has witnessed a lot of development over the past nine years. The minister added that the ministry is holding one more summit in the coming times in Srinagar to explore the real investment potential of the region fully.
After the abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A, the minister said Jammu and Kashmir has witnessed a change in the ground situation at a very fast pace. He added that available data and specific figures of Jammu and Kashmir show significant improvement in the security situation, which facilitates investment. The Union Territory has also witnessed a considerable improvement in its youth, which has seen many qualifying in national level competitions and actively taking part in the economic resurgence.
On the issue of delayed assembly elections, Puri responded by stating that the region is going through a transition phase and is coming out of a prolonged insurgency. On regularisation of unauthorised colonies, he said this is a different issue and will be dealt with in the same way as other parts of the country. The minister blamed the previous UPA government for the frequent hikes in petrol, diesel and cooking gas prices, stating that the government in 2012 came up with a novel way to keep the prices down by coming out with oil bonds, putting pressure on the new government.
