Srinagar : Kashmir can become a “super-smart city”, provided there is no violence in the state, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said Wednesday.
“If we have plans of 100 smart cities in India, Kashmir has the potential of becoming a super-smart city. It can happen only if there are no bullets fired,” Jaitley said while interacting with civil society members here.
The finance minister criticised the state government over its “slow” rehabilitation process after the September floods.
“The response of the authorities was inadequate and highly delayed. But we (the central government) won’t rest till the last damaged house is rebuilt.”
“Tragedies can also be a lesson. Floods no doubt wreaked havoc in Kashmir, but it also provided us an opportunity to improve the quality of life of the people, better than they had before the deluge,” he said.
Jaitley, who also holds the Corporate Affairs and Information and Broadcasting portfolios, said the centre wants peace, progress and prosperity in the state.
“We want Kashmir to stand on its own legs rather than depend on funds from the centre. We will promote tourism, handicraft, and improve the infrastructure so as to provide employment avenues for Kashmir’s youth,” he said.
Time has come for Kashmir to have a “national mainstream government”, he said.