JAMMU, May 18: Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Sunday said the Kathua-Udhampur Parliamentary
Constituency in Jammu and Kashmir has undergone a major transformation over the past decade, emerging as a model of integrated development with progress in infrastructure, connectivity, education, industry, tourism and rural upliftment.
Represented by Dr Singh for a third consecutive term in the Lok Sabha, the constituency covering Kathua, Udhampur, Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts has seen visible developmental changes, he said.
“The last ten years have changed the development culture in the region. We moved from promises to performance, from files to fieldwork,” Dr Singh said while highlighting achievements made under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He said the constituency now stands as an example of how sustained political will, scientific intervention and infrastructure investment can transform geographically difficult regions into hubs of opportunity and growth.
Among the major infrastructure projects highlighted by the Union Minister was the Dr Syama Prasad Mookerjee Tunnel on the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi. He also referred to the upcoming Delhi-Katra Expressway, expected to reduce travel time to nearly five to six hours, and more than 200 bridges built by the Border Roads Organisation across the constituency.
In Udhampur, Dr Singh said the Rs 190-crore Devika Riverfront Project has transformed the sacred riverfront into a modern urban space. He also mentioned the Atal Setu bridge in Basohli and the Keediyan-Gandyal bridge in Kathua, which have significantly improved regional connectivity.
Highlighting rail infrastructure, Dr Singh said the inauguration of the Chenab Rail Bridge — the world’s highest railway bridge — and the operation of two Vande Bharat trains between Katra and Delhi via Udhampur and Kathua marked historic achievements for the region.
He added that Udhampur railway station has been renamed after Shaheed Tushar Mahajan, while North India’s first Industrial Biotech Park and the BioNEST incubator established by CSIR-IIIM at Ghatti in Kathua are promoting innovation and entrepreneurship. The foundation stone for Orchid Bio-Pharma in Kathua, he said, signals new industrial growth with global potential.
Dr Singh also highlighted the success of the “Purple Revolution” under the Aroma Mission in Doda district, saying lavender cultivation connected local farmers with scientific farming practices and transformed rural economies. The initiative was also featured in the Prime Minister’s “Mann Ki Baat” programme.
He said projects such as the International Yoga Centre at Mantalai, development of Mansar Lake under the Swadesh Darshan scheme and improved facilities for the Machail Yatra in Kishtwar reflected inclusive and balanced development.
The Minister further stated that several hydroelectric projects, including Pakal Dul, Kiru, Kwar, Dul Hasti and the revived Rattle project in Kishtwar district, are expected to strengthen energy security and create employment opportunities. He also noted the revival of the Shahpur Kandi project in Kathua after decades of delay.
Listing recent achievements, Dr Singh said the past one year alone witnessed 21 major projects in the constituency, including tunnel projects under NH-244 worth nearly Rs 9,800 crore for Doda, Kishtwar and Udhampur districts, the Chattergala Tunnel project, operationalisation of Udhampur airport and Kishtwar’s inclusion under the UDAN scheme.
In disaster-prone areas like Machail and Paddar, he said Automated Weather Stations, a seismological observatory and a proposed Doppler Weather Radar for Doda have been introduced to strengthen disaster preparedness following last year’s cloudburst tragedy.
Dr Singh said road connectivity continues to remain a priority, with PMGSY projects worth over Rs 1,000 crore inaugurated or launched. He added that a nano-technology based water filtration unit for flood-affected border villages in Hiranagar reflects efforts to take innovation to remote areas.
He also listed several other public welfare projects, including ICU ambulances funded through MPLAD, hand pumps for drinking water, solar lights in Doda playgrounds, a multi-level parking complex in Kathua city, a girls’ school named after Shaheed NK Vakil Singh Jasrotia, a Munsiff Court in Billawar and a Kendriya Vidyalaya in Ramkot.
“Development in this constituency is people-centric, aimed at ensuring that even the remotest villages of Doda and Kishtwar feel connected to the national growth story,” Dr Singh said.
