Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be in Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday where he will unveil development projects worth more than Rs 6,400 crore and address a public meeting.

He will participate in the ‘Viksit Bharat Viksit Jammu Kashmir’ programme and dedicate to nation about Rs 5000 crore worth programme for boosting agri-economy in Jammu and Kashmir.

This is the first visit of the Prime Minister to Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370.

Strict security arrangements have been put in place ahead of the visit at Bakshi Stadium, the venue of the rally.

Srinagar city has been declared as “Temporary Red Zone” for the operation of drones and quadcopters, as per provisions of Rule 24(2) of Drone Rules, 2021 with immediate effect.

All unauthorized drone operations in the Red Zone are liable to being penalized as per relevant provisions of Drone Rules, 2021 according to the Srinagar Police.

At the ‘Viksit Bharat Viksit Jammu Kashmir’ program at Bakshi Stadium the Prime Minister will dedicate the ‘Holistic Agriculture Development Programme’ worth Rs 5,000 crore to boost the agri-economy in the Union territory, according to a statement by the Prime Minister’s Office.

HADP is an integrated program encompassing the full spectrum of activities in the three major domains of agri-economy viz Horticulture, Agriculture and Livestock husbandry in Jammu and Kashmir. The programme is expected to equip about 2.5 lakh farmers with skill development via a dedicated Daksh Kisan portal. Under the programme, about 2000 Kisan Khidmat Ghars will be established and robust value chains will be put in place for the welfare of the farming community. The programme will lead to employment generation benefiting lakhs of marginal families in Jammu and Kashmir.

He will also dedicate to the nation and launch multiple projects related to the tourism sector worth more than Rs 1400 crore under Swadesh Darshan and PRASHAD (Pilgrimage Rejuvenation And Spiritual, Heritage Augmentation Drive) scheme, including the project for ‘Integrated Development of Hazratbal Shrine’, Srinagar.

The Prime Minister will also launch the ‘Dekho Apna Desh People’s Choice Tourist Destination Poll’ and ‘Chalo India Global Diaspora Campaign’. He will also announce tourist destinations selected under the Challenge Based Destination Development (CBDD) Scheme. Besides, the Prime Minister will distribute appointment orders to about 1000 new Government recruits of Jammu and Kashmir and will also interact with beneficiaries of various government schemes, including women achievers, lakhpati didis, farmers, entrepreneurs etc.

In line with his vision of improving the overall experience of tourists and pilgrims visiting prominent pilgrimage and tourism sites nationwide by building world-class infrastructure and amenities, the Prime Minister will dedicate to the nation and launch multiple initiatives under the Swadesh Darshan and PRASHAD schemes worth more than Rs 1400 crore.

The projects to be dedicated to the nation by the Prime Minister include the development of ‘Integrated Development of Hazratbal Shrine’ in Srinagar; tourism facilities developed in the Northeast circuit in Meghalaya; Spiritual Circuit in Bihar and Rajasthan; Rural and Tirthankar Circuit in Bihar; development of Jogulamba Devi Temple, Jogulamba Gadwal District, Telangana; and development of Amarkantak Temple, Annupur District, Madhya Pradesh.

To create world-class infrastructure and amenities for pilgrims and tourists visiting the Hazratbal Shrine, and to enhance their holistic spiritual experience, the project ‘Integrated Development of Hazratbal Shrine’ has been executed.

The key components of the project include site development of the entire area including the construction of the boundary wall of the Shrine; Illumination of the Hazratbal shrine Precinct; the Improvement of Ghats and Devri Paths around the Shrine; Construction of Sufi interpretation centre; Construction of Tourist Facilitation Centre; Installation of Signages; Multilevel Storied Car parking; Construction of Public Convenience Block and entrance Gateway of the Shrine; among others.

PM Modi will also launch about 43 projects that will develop a wide range of pilgrimage and tourist sites across the country. These include important religious sites like the Annavaram Temple in Kakinada district of Andhra Pradesh; Navagraha Temples in Thanjavur and Mayiladuthurai District of Tamilnadu and Karaikal district of Puducherry; Sri Chamundeshwari Devi Temple, Mysore District, Karnataka; Karni Mata Mandir, Bikaner District Rajasthan; Maa Chintpurni Temple, Una District, Himachal Pradesh; Basilica of Bom Jesus Church, Goa, among others.

The projects also include development of various other sites and experience centres like Mechuka Adventure Park in Arunachal Pradesh; Rural Tourism Cluster Experience at Gunji, Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand; Ecotourism zone at Ananthagiri forest, Ananathagiri, Telangana; Meghalayan Age Cave Experience and Waterfall Trails Experience at Sohra, Meghalaya; Reimagining Cinnamara Tea Estate, Jorhat, Assam; Ecotourism experience at Kanjli Wetland, Kapurthala, Punjab; Julley Leh Biodiversity Park, Leh, among others.

During the programme, the Prime Minister will announce 42 tourist destinations selected under the Challenge Based Destination Development (CBDD) Scheme. The innovative scheme, announced during Union Budget 2023-24, aims to provide end-to-end tourist experiences by catalysing the development of tourist destinations while also promoting sustainability and ushering competitiveness in the tourism sector. The 42 destinations have been identified in four categories (16 in Culture & Heritage Destination; 11 in spiritual destinations; 10 in Ecotourism and Amrit Dharohar; and 5 in Vibrant Village).

Prime Minister will launch the first-ever nationwide initiative to identify the pulse of the nation on tourism, in the form of ‘Dekho Apna Desh People’s Choice 2024’. The nationwide poll aims to engage with citizens to identify the most preferred tourist attractions and understand tourist perceptions across 5 tourism categories – Spiritual, Cultural & Heritage, Nature & Wildlife, Adventure, and another category. Besides the four main categories, the ‘other’ category is where one can vote for their personal favourites and help uncover hidden tourism gems in the form of unexplored tourism attractions and destinations like Vibrant Border Villages, Wellness Tourism, Wedding Tourism etc. This poll exercise is being hosted on the MyGov platform, the citizen engagement portal of the Government of India.

Prime Minister will launch the ‘Chalo India Global Diaspora Campaign’ to inspire the Indian diaspora to become Incredible India ambassadors and promote tourism to India. The campaign is being launched based on the clarion call of the Prime Minister, wherein he requested Indian diaspora members to encourage at least 5 non-Indian friends to travel to India. With more than 3 crore overseas Indians, the Indian diaspora can serve as a powerful catalyst for Indian tourism, acting as cultural Ambassadors.