New Delhi

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Saturday said that the delimitation process in Jammu and Kashmir has started and soon elections will be held soon.

"Delimitation has started and soon elections will be held. I have given assurance in Lok Sabha that as soon as the situation becomes normal in Jammu and Kashmir and statehood will be given back to Jammu and Kashmir," Shah said at the virtual launch of the District Good Governance Index in Jammu and Kashmir.

Shah criticized Kashmiri leaders for resorting to propaganda about Kashmir for their own political benefits.

"Many leaders have been talking false and doing propaganda. I want the youth to ask, investment of crores of rupees have been coming in, tourists have been coming and they are doing propaganda for their own political benefits. Democracy has reached grass root level that is why they do this propaganda and youth should not listen to them," he said.

"Today is an important day also for the country as what has started from Jammu and Kashmir will be going to other parts of the country. I want to say to the people of Jammu and Kashmir that the Union Territory is going through a transformation that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has always thought of," Shah said.

"There has been a change after 2019, there were 87 MLAs in Union Territory and only three families were ruling but today there are 30000 public representatives. These families said that after the abrogation of 370 the situation in Jammu and Kashmir has worsened but I want to tell them there has been a 40 per cent decrease in terror-related incidents and an 87 per cent decrease in killings," he said as he targeted former chief ministers of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti.

He further said that the people are receiving direct benefits from the government schemes in the Union Territory.

Shah said Jammu and Kashmir is among the top five States and UTs in India in implementing central schemes and congratulated Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha for making Jammu and Kashmir a top performer.

"Several development works are being done in Jammu and Kashmir. Record number of tourists visited Jammu and Kashmir this year. People are receiving direct benefits from the government scheme," said Shah.

He stressed that the implementation of Central and State Governments' schemes at the district level is important for the development.

Shah said that there will a healthy competition within the districts which will help the development of the area and this will benefit the people.

With PM Modi's initiative tourism has been boosted in the UT which drew as 1,13,000 tourists.

"This year record number of tourists have come but these leaders are doing propaganda so that the tourists will not come to Jammu and Kashmir. I want to tell those who forced the youth to go to Pakistan for MBBS that nine Medical Colleges have come up in the UT and 1,100 seats have been added. I appeal to the youth of the Valley to come and walk on the path of development by PM Modi and don't listen to these propagandas being spread," he said.

Shah released the District Good Governance Index for 20 districts of Jammu and Kashmir, a move that will bring Jammu and Kashmir the first Union Territory in the country to have a Good Governance Index.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh and Lieutenant Governor of Jammu and Kashmir Manoj Sinha were also present at the event.

The District Good Governance Index is a milestone and it is expected that it will provide a robust framework for evidence-based assessment of the performance of all the districts in Jammu and Kashmir.