india

Updated: Sep 23, 2019 18:22 IST

Union minister of state for home G Kishan Reddy said here on Monday that the central government had ordered surveys to be conducted of 50,000 temples that had been closed, 90% of which were destroyed. He said similar surveys were also being conducted of schools that had been closed.

Reddy was addressing the media, when he spoke about some of the important decisions taken by the central government after the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution.

Reddy said the administrations of the two Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh would come into being on October 31, which also happened to be the birth anniversary of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. “Two Lieutenant Governors will be appointed on that day,” he said.

He added that the union government was also undertaking many programmes for the welfare of the state. One such programme would be to provide five government jobs to meritorious youth in each village of the erstwhile state. “We will also recruit for the Army, Navy and Air Force, as well as the CRPF and BSF,” he said.

Reddy said though many other developmental works are in the offing tourism will be the focus area. “We will promote tourism the most. Many meetings have been held on this and more are to come,” he said.

He credited the central government for holding gram panchayat elections in the northernmost region. “The J&K secretariat and assembly used to have two flags, we will change this in the coming days,” he said.

“Many schools in the valley have not been functioning for many years. We have instituted a committee and asked the Governor to conduct a survey and reopen these schools. Almost 50,000 temples have been closed, 90% of these have been destroyed, in some the idols have been destroyed, we have ordered surveys to be conducted for these as well,” he said, adding that many cinema halls had also been shut for 20 years in the region and the government was looking at reopening these as well.

Reddy said so far the security forces had seized around 37,000 Pakistan and China-made AK 47s and light machine guns and 18,000 revolvers. “A women’s property right Act will also be introduced in J&K soon,” he added.