Gas pipeline project for J&K, central university in Ladakh: FM Sitharaman in her Budget speech

01-02-2021

Newly carved out Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) and Ladakh got a special package in the Union Budget for 2021-22 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Parliament on Monday in which she announced laying of new gas pipeline and setting up of a central university. In her budget speech, the finance minister said, �Our government has kept fuel supplies running across the country without interruption during the COVID-19 lockdown period. Talking not of the crucial nature of this sector in people�s lives key initiatives are being announced. These include a gas pipeline project in the UT of J&K, which will be taken up this year.� She went on to add that 100 more cities will be added in the next three years to the gas distribution network. In a bid to make sure accessibility of higher education in Ladakh, having difficult terrain with borders with China, Sitharaman has proposed that the UT will have a central university in Leh. �For accessible higher education in Ladakh, I propose to set up a central university in Leh,� said Sitharaman while presenting the Budget in the Parliament. More to it she also proposed: �100 new Sainik schools will be set up in partnership with NGOs, private schools, and states.� She went on to add: �We would be introducing the legislation this year to implement the setting-up of the Higher Education Commission of India.� There are other �umbrella� structures to be created for higher education, the finance minister announced, adding that more than 15,000 schools will be strengthened under NEP 2020.