3 min readJammuFeb 7, 2026 08:13 PM IST
Stating that enthusiasm to visit Jammu & Kashmir had not diminished, Union Home Minister Amit Shah Saturday advocated for “aggressive marketing” of the Union Territory’s tourist destinations to explore its full tourism potential.
Shah, who was on a three-day visit to J&K, was addressing a review meeting in Jammu to assess the progress of development projects in the Union Territory. The remarks come amid a setback to the industry in the aftermath of last year’s April 22 Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 people — mostly tourists — were killed.
“The Government of India will provide all possible assistance in the plan to develop new tourist destinations in Jammu and Kashmir,” he added.
On Saturday, Shah reviewed key sectors such as road infrastructure, power, industry and tourism in a meeting attended by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Union Home Secretary Govind Mohan, and senior officials from both the central and the J&K governments.
“The Government of India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi remains firmly committed to the vision of building a developed and prosperous Jammu and Kashmir,” Shah said at the meeting.
He said J&K needed to explore the full potential of its hydropower projects, and that special focus should be laid on achieving 100 percent saturation of the government’s welfare schemes and ensuring that the benefits of all development projects reach the intended beneficiaries
He said that focus should be given to developing sports infrastructure and establishing sports academies to connect youth with development. In this regard, efforts will be made to secure an investment of about Rs 200 crore by engaging with various sports bodies.
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Marking a significant step, Jammu & Kashmir has been brought under the ambit of the Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI) scheme for the first time in FY 2025–26, enabling access to 50-year interest-free loans for capital projects, Home Minister said, underlining that strengthened fiscal discipline would assist in stabilising the UTs fiscal deficit over time.
He said that India is steadily progressing towards the goal of Viksit Bharat by 2047, marking 100 years of independence and the Government of India will continue to extend wholehearted support to Jammu and Kashmir in pursuit of this goal.