Removal of Article 370, 35A paved a way for development of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh: President

President said the `Constitution expects from this Parliament and every member present in this House to fulfill the hopes and aspirations of the countrymen and make necessary laws for them, keeping the national interest paramount.`

New Delhi: President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday (January 31) addressed a joint session of Parliament saying the "Constitution expects from this Parliament and every member present in this House to fulfill the hopes and aspirations of the countrymen and make necessary laws for them, keeping the national interest paramount."

He said that "removal of Article 370 and Article 35A of the Constitution by a two-thirds majority by both the Houses of Parliament is not only historical but it has also paved the way for similar development of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh."

Under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, around 3,500 houses were built in Jammu and Kashmir as of March 2018, he said, adding "more than 24,000 houses have been completed in less than two years."

"In Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh, the work of establishing connectivity, irrigation, hospitals, tourism-related schemes and institutions of higher education like IIT, IIM, AIIMS is also going speedily." said the President.

The President also added that even today there are about 15 crore houses in rural areas of the country, where there is no supply of water from pipes. 

"In the villages of the country, sufficient drinking water reaches every household, for this my government has started the Water Life Mission," he added.