Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on Friday announced a nine-point economic and development package for Jammu and Kashmir.
"During my interaction with people here I found that there are additional requirements of new schemes and programmes, which the government will help in implementation," he said at a crowded press conference in Jammu.
Some areas that the new package will cover are:
** A one-time grant for the University of Jammu.
** A 220kw single-circuit transmission line from Srinagar to Leh via Kargil.
** Hike in relief for Valley's migrant families.
** 500 new tenements and shifting of some border villages affected by shelling from across the border.
** New Kendriya Vidyalayas.
** Drinking water project for 2,284 habitations in Kandi area of the state.
In the current year, the Union government has already released Rs 54.16 crore to the state for various water supply schemes, including the one for Kandi.
An additional Rs 20 crore will be released for Kandi soon, Vajpayee said.
Vajpayee said the Ministry of Power has considered various options for supplying power to the Leh-Ladakh area and has recommended that a 220kv single-circuit transmission line from Srinagar to Leh via Kargil will be the best option.
The cost of this transmission line will be about Rs 300 crore, he said.
Vajpayee said the scale of relief for migrant families from the Valley will be raised from Rs 600 to Rs 750 per person, subject to a maximum of Rs 3,000 per family.
To meet the demand for partial shifting of border villages, the prime minister said Rs 7 crore has been sanctioned for the purpose.
