- Union Minister Jitendra Singh inaugurated the 4th Lavender Festival in Bhaderwah valley
- He highlighted major infrastructure development in the region since 2014 under PM Modi’s government
- Lavender cultivation turned Bhaderwah into a national hub for aroma-based entrepreneurship and startups
Union Minister Jitendra Singh today inaugurated the 4th Lavender Festival in Jammu and Kashmir's Bhaderwah valley, an event that has been billed as a proof of the region's transformation into a national hub of lavender cultivation and aroma-based entrepreneurship.
The Union Minister told NDTV how in the last 12 years of the Modi government "vision has turned into reality" in development indicators. "Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision itself is testimony to what has changed in the last 12 years," Singh said.
"Till 2014, you hardly had any roads here. Today, there's a network of roads running through the remotest hills. Tunnels are being built. National highways are coming up. Express corridors are under construction and the Vande Bharat is running to Jammu and Kashmir," he said, referring to the year when PM Modi took charge.
"The change on the development front has been dramatic. It's best appreciated by those who saw how it was before," he said, adding a clear picture of this transformation was seen in Jammu and Kashmir, especially after Article 370 of the Constitution that gave special status to the erstwhile state was scrapped.
Singh also credited PM Modi's vision of startup India and science-driven development for the success of the lavender mission. They gave Bhaderwah, also known as "Mini Kashmir", a distinct identity for its significant role in India's economic growth, Singh said.
The Union Minister said India's policy in the region, too, has changed from reactive to proactive. Alluding to Operation Sindoor, he said everyone has seen the shift in policy. "The nation has seen it. The world has acknowledged it," Singh added.
On what has been the most important development boost in 12 years of the Modi government, he said, "The real game-changer has been PM Modi giving highest priority to schemes centered on women, children, youth and senior citizens. Take startups. Earlier we had just 350. Today we have over two lakh startups that generate 24 lakh jobs and make India number three in the world."
He criticised the Opposition over what he called a "dismal track record", and rejected allegations that the Centre has been misusing probe agencies to harass rivals. "The fact that PM Modi has been elected for a third consecutive term is itself the answer to all those queries by the Opposition."
After inaugurating the lavender festival, the Union Minister recalled that a decade ago Bhaderwah valley had either maize fields or barren land.
"When we started, there were physical and mental hurdles. People weren't ready to part with their land. So we began lavender cultivation on leftover patches and told villagers that if it doesn't bear fruit, we'll return their land," Singh said, adding the entire village came forward when they saw farmers made a fortune overnight.
According to Singh, a startup doesn't mean a person has to be in tech or hold a PhD. He gave the example of many young people who are not graduates but launched successful lavender startups. Some haven't even passed Class 12.
PM Modi's mention of Bhaderwah during his Mann Ki Baat radio address helped in making the place popular. He had spoken about this remote hilly district, its lavender farms and how farmers made a fortune.
"Our only constraint now is quantity. We aren't producing enough to export yet. But one thing worked from day one - industry linkage. That ready market helped farmers immensely," the Union Minister said.
