Canal system approved alongside Ujh project to check water flow to Pakistan: Jitendra Singh

Jammu, Jan 3 (PTI) Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Saturday announced approval for a canal system alongside Ujh multipurpose project in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kathua district to check uncontrolled water flow to Pakistan.

He also informed that the centre has allocated over Rs 1,400 crore for the Union Territory to mitigate damage to public property and other infrastructure during last year’s floods.

The Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s office was speaking at a review meeting in Kathua district, part of his Udhampur parliamentary constituency, with the district administration on the developmental projects.

Singh said a canal system on the Ujh River has been approved to check infiltration and harness the uncontrolled flow of water towards Pakistan, with the proposal cleared by the Ministries of Defence and Home Affairs.

He announced that over Rs 1,400 crore has been allocated for Jammu and Kashmir, including Rs 10 crore for temporary repairs in Kathua, and minimal more than Rs 2 crore for each of the damaged public assets and structures, subject to assessment by the district administration.

He said funds for restoration of permanent infrastructure would be provided by the respective departments.

The minister also held a public durbar at Kathua and pointed out that long-pending projects such as the Ujh Multipurpose Project and the Shahpur Kandi Dam, which had remained stalled for decades due to politics of discrimination, were revived after Prime Minister Narendra Modi assumed office.

He said these projects would not only contribute to regional development but also ensure effective utilisation of India’s rightful share of water resources that continue to flow unutilised to Pakistan.

“Prime Minister Modi is working with a firm resolve to ensure ease of living for every citizen and to improve their quality of life, irrespective of political affiliation, caste, creed, or geographical region,” he said, adding the inclusive development and last-mile delivery of government services remain the cornerstone of the Modi’s governance model.

The minister highlighted that Kathua has witnessed unprecedented development across multiple sectors over the last decade.

He said several first-of-its-kind projects have been initiated in the district, transforming it into an emerging centre of education, healthcare, connectivity, and economic activity.

These include the establishment of a medical college under the Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan (RUSA), an engineering college, the introduction of the Vande Bharat Express train, North India’s first homeopathic medical college, and proposed up-gradation of a cancer care centre to provide advanced treatment facilities closer to home, Singh said.

Emphasising future-oriented development, he said Kathua is being positioned to become a hub of education as well as a centre of business and entrepreneurship in the coming years.

He said an incubation centre has been established at the Industrial Biotech Park to promote innovation and self-employment.

“The plan is to nurture around 15 startups every year, so that within five years, 20 to 25 entrepreneurs from small towns and villages are created, offering youth alternative livelihood opportunities beyond conventional government jobs," the Union minister added. PTI TAS NB