J&K's infra blitz for civilians, military

Critical mineral extraction, railway links being fast-tracked

- Subhash Narayan & Rituraj Baruah

As all goes quiet on the western front, India has made its next move clear: doubling down on infrastructure development in the Union territory of Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) to bolster both civilian life and military readiness in the sensitive region.

An array of projects, from critical mineral extraction and railway links to expansive waterways and fortified highways is being fast-tracked, according to two people aware of the matter.

"Several projects being implemented would be dual-use infrastructure that can be used both for civilian and military uses," one of the people cited above said on condition of anonymity, adding that such infrastructure is not new as it was included earlier in the PM Gati Shakti National Mission for providing multi-modal connectivity.

The second person said that major projects aimed at bringing economic growth to the region, which are also of strategic importance, would continue with enhanced security measures.