J&K Adjudged as Best Performing State & UT Under AKAM & MMMD Programme

Shri Narendra Modi provided the Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav Awards to the top three performing States or Union Territories, as well as Ministries or Departments. Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat, and Haryana are the top three performing states or union territories, with Rajasthan coming in third place. The top three performing ministries are the Ministry of External Affairs, the Ministry of Defence, and the Ministry of Railways and the Ministry of Education, which are tied for third place. 

Jammu & Kashmir as a Leading State

• Jammu & Kashmir takes the lead in celebrating the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' and the 'Meri Mati Mera Desh' programmes.
• The Prime Minister presented the Best Performing State and UT award to Jammu Kashmir Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta at the concluding ceremony of 'Meri Maati Mere Desh' at Kartavya Path in New Delhi.
• This was consistent with the positive momentum of the advancements made in Jammu Kashmir after August 2019.
• Excitement of Jammu and Kashmir had lately revealed itself several times, with a performance under the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' being the most recent example.
• The programme was organised throughout all sections of J&K with exceptional and active involvement of the general public and youth in particular.
• The UT is proudly ranked first among all states and territories in the country.

Closing Ceremony of ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’

• The Meri Maati Mera Desh programme held to commemorate the closing ceremony of the 'Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav' drew a large crowd from Jammu Kashmir. 
• The program intended to encourage all people to recognise the sacrifices of national heroes (veers) and to pay honour to the motherland's soil. 
• The primary components included honouring martyrs, committing to nation development, renewing the homeland, honouring the military services, and raising the Tiranga, a sign of pride.

Celebration of Meri Mati Mera Desh in Jammu Kashmir(J&K)

• J&K has a reputation for programme saturation, and Meri Mati Mera Desh was no exception, with 100% coverage of Panchayats and Urban Local Bodies(ULB) wards. 
• The UT organised nearly 1.70 lakh events in the first phase from August 9th to August 31st, 2023, with unprecedented public engagement.
• The second phase of Meri Maati Mera Desh covered all villages and wards, and massive Amrit Kalsh Yatras with full public involvement were organised throughout the whole of Jammu and Kashmir. 
• Jammu and Kashmir stands out among states/UTs in the country, having organized a record 1.74 lakh events under the Meri Maati, Mera Desh Programme with a public engagement level of more than 80%, the greatest ratio for people involvement in any State or UT. 
• These milestones represent the highest point of its socio-cultural development over the previous five years. 
• As part of the second phase of Meri Maati Mera Desh, 100% of villages/wards were covered, and big Amrit Kalsh Yatras with full public involvement were organised throughout Jammu and Kashmir. 
• Similarly, festivities were organized in every block/Municipal body from the 1st to the 13th of October 2023, with enthusiastic public involvement.
• Amrit Vatika will now have mittis from each village in J&K, symbolizing togetherness and integrity.