J&K: Srinagar awaits G20 meet, locals support govt’s moves

INTERNATIONAL DESK: The government and people are equally participating in the preparations to host the G20 tourism working group meeting in Srinagar on May 23 and 24, the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, a report said.

Preparations are in full swing. Efforts are being made to bring Srinagar into the centre stage as a global city, and to welcome international delegates.

According to the report, residents of Srinagar are supporting all the efforts of the government to revamp the city.
“Despite facing hardships due to ongoing development works they are not complaining. People are cooperating as they have understood that their city is gearing up to host an important international event that would transform Srinagar into a tourist centre of global importance,” the report said.

Pertinently, till August 5, 2019– when the Centre announced its decision to abrogate Article 370 from J-K and bifurcated it into two Union Territories– Srinagar City on the diktats of the Pakistan-sponsored separatists and terrorists used to observe a shutdown against the visits of foreign dignitaries or any important persons. The strikes were imposed on the people to send a message to the world that all is not well in Kashmir.

“However, after the scrapping of Article 370, a temporary provision in the Constitution, Srinagar has changed. It has welcomed everyone with open arms and hasn’t remained shut for even a single day during the past three years,” the report said.

The regime led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi besides shutting down the shops of the separatists has acted tough against the terrorists who kept a common man under persistent threat from 1990– when the Pakistan-sponsored insurgency broke out in J-K– to 2019.

As per the report, as of date no separatist, who can call for shutdown or orchestrate street protests, has been left in Kashmir.

“They are eagerly waiting for the G20 summit to happen in Srinagar as a common man wants his city to get integrated globally. Srinagar’s new look and people discussing the forthcoming G20 summit are ample proof of how J&K’s summer capital is waiting for the event to happen,” it said.

“The Srinagar airport has been upgraded to accommodate the international flights. Night landing facilities have been put in place leading to the increased footfall of tourists. Many other steps have been taken to enable Srinagar to overcome the inadequacies and discrepancies,” the report added.

New infrastructure is being built to accommodate the huge rush of tourists, who have visited Jammu and Kashmir in droves during the past three decades. (ANI)