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| Changing face of Jammu city | | | Eighteen years long militancy in J&K, with Kashmir Valley and its
capital city Srinagar under the strong grip of terrorism during all
this period, leading to large scale devastation and paralyzing of
normal life and development projects coming to stand still, has proved
blessing in disguise for Jammu city, the winter capital of the state.
Although Jammu region, including the capital city of Jammu, have not
remained untouched and insolated from the Kashmiri secessionist
violence, yet this period has witnessed sea change in the life style
of Jammu, which has made progress and registered development in
various fields. The Municipal limits of Jammu which were confined to
32 square kms, have recently been extended to 132 square kms. The city
originally located on the bank of River Tawi, has witnessed massive
development, with many new colonies coming up on its periphery, while
some of these extending haphazardly and unplanned, likely to create
problems in the future, some highly planned colonies on modern lines
have been developed by the J&K Housing Board and Jammu Development
Authority. The migration of a large number of Kashmiri Hindus and of a
few Muslims also from the Valley, in the wake of militancy, has also
made some contribution in the development and growth of Jammu city.
Under this background the JDA, in collaboration with Jammu University
is conducting a housing demand survey to prepare a vision document for
a new Jammu township. It also plans to invite some outsider big
colonizers to develop the greater Jammu city and the builders like
Ansal, Alhuwalias, Parsvant developers, Omaxe and Bestech India have
expressed keenness in developing township and shopping malls. Already
a commercial hub spread over 20 hectares near the Rail Head Complex,
developed by the JDA has come up as the most fashionable and a highly
modern complex. The complex houses the regional or zonal offices of
several state and Central government departments and public
undertakings, besides major corporate houses like The Reserve Bank of
India, the Central Bureau of Investigation, Indian oil, The Steel
Authority of India, HUDCO, The power Grid corporation of India, BSNL,
Airtel, J&K Bank, Reliance, HDFC and SIDCO, etc. Besides it houses a
mini shopping mall in Bahu Plaza. In the Industrial Sector also some
break through has been achieved and many industrial houses from
outside the state have either setup their own units in the industrial
areas of Digiana, Gangyal, Samba and Bari Brahmana around Jammu,
besides in Kathua industrial estate or have invested in joint
collaboration with the State government and private entrepreneurs in
the state. The development of infrastructure in the form of new
bridges on River Tawi, wide or arterial roads, fly over and wide roads
have given entirely a new look to the Jammu city. A new by pass and a
number of four lane Arterial expressway corridors are also coming up.
Much of the development and economic boom in Jammu is caused due to
heavy rush of Vaishno Devi pilgrims, whose number has lately crossed
60 lakhs. The progress and development that Jammu has achieved during
last two decades is despite the government continuously neglecting and
discriminating against the region as a whole, as compared to Kashmir
valley. If the authorities pay a little attention and distribute the
resources and central funding equitably, Jammu has the potential to
grow much more and the entire scenario can undergo a vase change.
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