An IIT-BHU graduate, Sinha has thrice represented Ghazipur in the Lok Sabha and was minister of communications and minister of state for railways in the first Modi government. He was one of the frontrunners for the post of UP chief minister after the BJP won the 2017 assembly polls. In 2019, he lost to Afzal Ansari of the Bahujan Samaj Party in the Lok Sabha elections.
Sinha’s appointment is seen as the Union government’s attempt to address the political vacuum created after the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status. As lieutenant governor, he has been on a development mission. In an exclusive interview with THE WEEK, he spoke about the path to strengthening development and democracy in the Union territory. Excerpts:
How has been the experience as lieutenant governor?
It has been good. I must say the people of Jammu and Kashmir are very capable. For some reason, this capability has not been tapped properly. The status that J&K should have achieved in economic development has not been achieved. But there are a lot of opportunities.
What challenges and opportunities have you identified?
Villages in J&K are unlike the rest of the country, where people have access to basic necessities like roads, drinking water and electricity. I consider it one of the biggest challenges for the government. We have prepared a plan and are committed to providing access to basic necessities in the next few years.
Around 2,000 people have died of Covid-19 in J&K. But the pandemic has largely been under control. How was it done?
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