MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava – File Pic
New Delhi: Several positive changes have taken place in terms of development in Jammu and Kashmir in the last one year which reflect return to “complete normalcy”, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday.
The assertion came after the Chairman and Ranking Member of the US House Committee on Foreign Affairs in a letter to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar expressed concern over the situation in Jammu and Kashmir one year after Article 370 was abrogated and the state was bifurcated into Union territories.
Asked about the reference to Jammu and Kashmir in the letter, MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said, “Regarding the specific issue, there have been several positive changes in the UT of J and K over the past one year, be it in terms of ensuring good governance or socio economic development or justice to the disadvantaged sections of the population.”
Elections have been held to block development councils in October 2019, the first ever ‘Khelo India’ winter games were held in March 2020, schools have re-opened, new educational facilities are being established, there are provisions of better healthcare with new health facilities coming up, infrastructure development has taken place and long pending projects have been completed, he said, listing the positive developments in Jammu and Kashmir in the past one year.
“So, all this certainly reflects return to complete normalcy. We continue to be engaged with and brief our interlocutors including the (US) Congress in this regard and we will be happy to brief the (US) Congress,” Srivastava said at an online media briefing.
Srivastava said the letter reflects a strong bipartisan support for India in the US.
On August 5 last year, the Centre announced its decision to withdraw special powers of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcate the state into two union territories.
To a question on whether India has briefed friendly countries on Jammu and Kashmir around the first anniversary of the Centre’s decision to revoke the special status of the region, Srivastava said Indian envoys in various countries keep meeting their interlocutors and briefing them.
“During their briefings, they brief about the socio-economic changes and the development that has taken place in J&K. Briefings are given on important steps taken by our government in the sectors of education, health and infrastructure development and in other sectors which have brought about a change in the lives of the common people,” he said.
To a separate question on businessman Vijay Mallya’s extradition from the UK, Srivastava said the Indian side was in constant touch with the UK side on the issue of his early extradition to india.
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