Jammu, 03 March (H.S.): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that the vision of a Viksit Bharat by 2047 can become a reality only if development reaches every corner of the country, asserting that progress confined to a few states or regions would remain “a dream and a slogan.” Abdullash was addressing a national conference on transforming governance for Viksit Bharat and improving governance.

“The truth is that Viksit Bharat or a developed India will only be a reality if all of India develops. A developed India or a Viksit Bharat will not be a reality if that development is confined only to a handful of states or regions, unless Jammu and Kashmir in the very north, to Assam in the very east, Gujarat in the west, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala,” the National Conference leader said. He stressed every region must witness progress for the national vision to materialise.

“Unless all of us see that development… (It) would remain a dream and a slogan. So, how does the whole of India develop? It develops through conferences like this. It develops through taking a ground-up approach rather than a bottom-down approach,” he said.

Abdullah emphasised grassroots development.

“If our districts perform, our states and Union Territories perform. If our states and Union Territories perform, our country performs,” he said.

The chief minister said such gatherings ensure that governments do not “reinvent the wheel” and enable the sharing of best practices across districts and states. ” For far too long, we lived in silos where sharing of information was discouraged rather than encouraged.

Thankfully, over the last few years, we have seen more holistic governance and greater cooperation,” he said.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Krishan Kumar