Srinagar: A NITI Aayog delegation led by its member M Srinivas on Tuesday stressed the need to improve educational outcomes and infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir.
The delegation made the observation during a meeting with J-K Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha here.
"The delegation highlighted the need to further improve educational outcomes and infrastructure, strengthen industry-academia linkages and employment opportunities, address human-resource and infrastructure gaps in the health sector, and improve primary healthcare delivery," an official spokesman said after the meeting.
In agriculture and allied sectors, emphasis was placed on irrigation, modernisation of horticulture, reduction of post-harvest losses, cold-chain and processing infrastructure, livestock services, value-chain development and stronger market linkages, he said.
"For accelerating economic growth and employment generation, NITI Aayog suggested promotion of sector-specific industrial clusters, strengthening of MSMEs and employment-intensive manufacturing, improvement in logistics and export infrastructure, promotion of green mobility and development of a stronger innovation and startup ecosystem in the Union territory," the spokesman said.
The presentation of the delegation also highlighted measures for sustainable urban development, including improved water security, sewage treatment, river rejuvenation, faster implementation of AMRUT 2.0 and PMAY-U, improved urban roads and expansion of public transport.
"The tourism potential of Jammu and Kashmir was also discussed, with emphasis on improving last-mile connectivity and visitor amenities, promoting homestays, and leveraging the UT's infrastructure for MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) and event tourism," he added.
The spokesman said the NITI Aayog delegation also highlighted the importance of timely completion of connectivity projects, improved water conservation and irrigation infrastructure, and greater utilisation of renewable energy potential, particularly through decentralised solar energy and PM-Surya Ghar.
During the meeting, the Srinivas-led team presented a comprehensive assessment of the development landscape of Jammu and Kashmir, highlighting the achievements, key sectoral gaps and possible interventions for accelerating the socio-economic development of the UT.
The assessment covered major sectors, including education, skill development and employment, health and nutrition, agriculture and horticulture, industry and MSMEs, urbanisation, tourism, infrastructure connectivity, water resources, and renewable energy and power.
Sinha appreciated the comprehensive sectoral assessment and shared the significant development initiatives undertaken in Jammu and Kashmir in recent years.
He said the government of India and the J-K administration are working together towards the vision of "Viksit Jammu Kashmir", with sustained emphasis on infrastructure creation, improved public service delivery, employment generation, investment and inclusive socio-economic development.
Sinha suggested that NITI Aayog may undertake a focused assessment and identify actionable measures for making the Dal Lake cleaner and ensuring its long-term ecological sustainability.
This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.