Jammu & Kashmir

Infrastructure

Basic infrastructure (2001)

The spread of infrastructure facilities in the state is significantly wide as more than 80 per cent of the households in the state have electricity connection. Penetration of financial and telecom services are also favourable in the state.

Source: Census 2001

Source: IndiaStat

• The J&K telecom circle is the main service provider that provides basic telephony and value-added services.
• There are five secondary switching areas (SSAs), namely Jammu, Srinagar, Udhampur, Rajouri, and Leh.
• The state has 373 telephone exchanges, 416,904 landline equipped capacity and 45,641 Internet connections.
• According to estimates by the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India, as of September 2008, the state had 2.64 million wireless subscribers and 247,050 wireline subscribers.

Power reforms on their way

In its step towards privatisation of power distribution network, the state government is setting up J&K Power Transmission Corporation and a Power Distribution Corporation each for Jammu & Kashmir. The Power Transmission Corporation would purchase the power and sell it to respective distribution corporations allowing the government to gradually come out of the power business.

Source: IndiaStat

Hydel power: Tapping the vast potential

The state has vast exploitable hydel potential of about 15000 MW of which only four per cent has been exploited, thus generating about 631 MW of power. The gas turbine station at Srinagar, further contributes to another 175 MW of power.

Two hydroelectric power-generating projects have been approved by the Central Electricity Authority. The projects worth US$ 272.6 million would be set up in Kargil and Leh districts of the state.The two plants are expected to give a tremendous impetus to economic development of the region which otherwise are cutoff from the region.The state has also cleared the setting up of about 12 mini hydel projects.

• Jammu and Kashmir has huge potential for hydro-power.
• The total installed capacity in the state as on August 31, 2008, was 2045.65 MW, most of it produced by hydro power projects and gas turbines. The gross electricity generation was 1,069.3 million hkwh.
• Industrial units are allowed to install their own captive power generation plants in the state and such units are excluded from paying electricity duty.

Social infrastructure

Source: NSS

Source: NFHS

The state compares favourably with the national aggregates in respect to the development aggregates of education, health and poverty. The percentage of population below the poverty line is appreciably lower than the all-India aggregate.

In 2004-05, the state had roughly 117 hospitals, 687 dispensaries, 394 primary health centres and sub-centres, 453 medical aid centres, and 2,080 family planning centres and sub-centres. In terms of parameters like birth rate, death rate, and infant mortality rate, the state has shown better performance as compared to all-India average.

Educational Infrastructure

• Education is on top priority of the state government
• A provision of free education for children coming from families below the poverty line has also been made to facilitate education at the primary level among the poor.
• Jammu & Kashmir has 274 higher secondary schools, 1,237 secondary schools, 10,860 primary schools, three universities, four polytechnics, two engineering and four medical colleges.

Transport Infrastructure

Roads

• The state had 823 km of national highways, 688 km of state highways, 7,671 km of major district roads and 3,372 village roads as of February 2002.
• The total road length in the state maintained by the Public Works Department has reached 15,012 km.
• During March 2007, widening of the existing two-lane road in the Pathankot-Srinagar section of National Highway 1A to four-lane configuration was approved under the National Highway Development Project (NHDP) phase two as a part of the North-South Corridor.

• Srinagar airport is the major International airport in the state, with Jammu and Leh being the major domestic airports.
• Srinagar airport reported a passenger traffic of 457,000 during 2005-06, while Jammu reported 306,385 passengers and Leh reported 122,401 passengers.

• The state is linked with the country's rail network up to Udhampur district
• Work on connectivity between Srinagar and Baramullah is going on
• The state had 138 route kms of rail length as of March 2006, passing through Udhampur, Jammu Tawi and Kathua
• Udhampur-Katra and Quazigund-Baramullah Rail link project has been taken up as national project is likely to be completed by end 2008-early 2009

Single window clearance

The state has set up an Apex Projects Clearance Committee (APCC) serving as a single window clearance system to expedite project clearances.

• Four Medical Colleges

• 100 Hospitals

• 343 Primary Health Centers

• 3326 Medical Sub Centers

• Total bed strength of more than 10,000 in the State

Important industrial areas

• Industrial Complex, Bari Brahmana,Jammu

• Industrial Estate, Gangyal, Jammu

• Industrial Growth Centre, Samba, Jammu

• Integrated Infrastructure Development Project,Udhampur

• Export Promotion Industrial Park, Kartholi,Jammu

• Industrial Area, Kathua

• Electronic Complex, Rangreth,Srinagar

• Industrial Complex Lassipora, Pulwama, Kashmir

• Industrial Complex, Khonmoh, Srinagar

• Industrial Estate, Zainakote, Srinagar

• Industrial Estate, Zakura, Srinagar

• Industrial Growth Centre, Ompora, Budgam

Information Technology

With a view to boosting information technology in the state, the state plans to set up a number of computer education centres and to introduce computer courses in colleges. Besides the software park at Rangreth, the state is planning to set up similar parks in the state.

• The government of Jammu and Kashmir has approved a US$ 55.8 million worth project to restore and preserve the Dal Lake.

• The State government has announced approx. US$ 3.7 million-cable ropeway project between Bhawan and Bhairon Ghati to boost pilgrim tourism in the State.

• The central government has announced a US$ 36 million package, aimed at reviving the tourism industry in the state, which is expected to generate about 1.7 lakh (Please convert to millon) employment opportunities.

• The state also plans to interlink tourist resorts like Katra, Patnitop, Surinsar and Mantalai to make them accessible.

Industrial Cluster Development

The state government plans to set up industrial cluster development centres at Sangam and Bagh-i-Ali Mardan Khan in Kashmir and Kathua in Jammu. The cluster spread over 15 sq. km. will focus on developing infrastructure for the sports industry.

Industrial infrastructure is being built up

• Two special economic zones (SEZs), one each in Jammu and Kashmir provinces
• Integrated Infrastructure Development Project at Udhampur, an industrial area at Kathua
• Electronic Complex at Rangreth, Srinagar
• Three industrial complexes at Bari Brahmana, Pulwama and Khonmoh
• Three industrial estates at Gangyal, Jammu, and Zainakote and Zakura at Srinagar
• Two agri-processing zones—one for walnuts and another for apples in Jammu and Kashmir
• Further, locations have been identified for two food parks, two export promotion industrial parks and one industrial estate
• Two industrial growth centres at Samba & Badgam and one Export Promotion Industrial Park at Kartholi, Jammu, are also being developed
• There are major proposals for setting up of Software Technological Park, at Srinagar, Textile City at Kathua, besides Integrated Leather Complex, Food Processing Park and Gem Park at Srinagar/Jammu

Industrial Growth Centre, Samba
a) Area to be developed 6700 kanals
b) Project cost aprox. US$ 6.2 million
c) Allotable area becoming available 4690 kanals   
d) Area under development 1883 kanals
e) Area available for allotment 900 kanals
f) Employment opportunity to be generated 10000 persons
g) Turn-over expected US$ 103 to 124 million
h) Investment to be mobilised US$ 72.3 million

Industrial Growth Centre, Ompora / Lassipora
a) Area to be developed 6500 kanals
b) Project cost US$ 8.3 million
c) Allotable or becoming available 4550 kanals
d) Employment opportunity to be generated 9500 persons
e) Turn-over expected aprox. US$ 103 million
f) Investment to be mobilised aprox. US$ 62 million

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