More than five years after the declaration of Prime Minister Development Projects (PMDP) for J&K, only 42% of projects have been achieved among the 54 approved in the UT. These projects incorporate railway, construction of roads, modernisation of hospitals, health, infrastructure in tourism and education. The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) continually observes the development of these projects. On Thursday, PM Narendra Modi is expected to meet the leaders of political parties from Kashmir where a progress report on these projects may be presented. Of the 54 projects, 19 are being implemented by the Union government, while 34 have been initiated by the J&K administration. The projects, involving setting up the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Indian Institute of Management (IIM), All India Institutes of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), and transit accommodation for migrants, are expected to be completed by 2022-23. The railway project at Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla, which will join Kashmir to the rest of India, will most probably complete by August 15 next year. The project has missed numerous deadlines amid enormous cost increases as the work had to be stopped because of frequent high-velocity winds in the area. Likewise, AIIMS at Vijaypur, Jammu and Awantipora in Kashmir shall be built by 2023 and 2025, respectively. The assessment conducted by central agencies determines that J&K has the potential of producing 27,000 MW, with the Chenab river alone contributing 16,000 MW, which may help resolve the power crisis in the region. Presently, around 3,500 MW power has been generated while additional 3,500 MW projects are under progress and approval has been asked for another 3,500 MW. Image Source Also read: RLDA invites bids for residential, commercial development in Gujarat Also read: Punjab Govt approves development projects to boost infra