Early Times Newspaper Jammu
Breaking News :  
 
NEW DETAILS
Srinagar richer than Jammu!
Early Times Report

Jammu, Nov 28: The seven decades of alleged discrimination with Jammu seems to be only deepening as Srinagar has been found richer, by a Union government agency.
A report from the NITI Aayog shows that Srinagar is the richest district in Jammu and Kashmir with only 1.51 percent underprivileged people.
The report on Multidimensional Poverty Index (MPI) by NITI Aayog said only 1.51 percent of the population in Srinagar district is underprivileged. The same index for Jammu district stands at 6.97 percent.
Throwing light on the issue, Urban development experts said Jammu is around “five times poorer than Srinagar as per the MPI index.”
The experts said Srinagar has not become rich overnight but that previous regimes were focused more on it “albeit at the cost of the interests and aspirations of the people of Jammu.”
While the survey by the Union government agency has shown that Srinagar “is much richer as compared to Jammu”, the study has seemingly “vindicated” the allegations of the discrimination with Jammu after the collapse of Dogra regime.
While the Dogra Maharajas had ensured peace and prosperity not only their native Jammu but also in Kashmir, the winter capital couldn’t get due attention after 1947 when the “dynasts took over.”
In the last seventy odd years the focus of development and economic upliftment remained Srinagar. “For that matter Jammu couldn’t even get an artificial lake as successive regimes in the past only ignored its much needed completion,” said a market player. While the central government led by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi has been assuring that the decades of discrimination with Jammu would end, desired results are awaited.
“It has been two years since the so called special status of Jammu and Kashmir was abrogated but till now any respite is awaited for Jammu on the lines of economic upliftment and prosperity and the Niti Aayog report is only an eye-opener in this regard,” said a professor based in Jammu.