Want to make Kashmir dream destination: Narendra Modi

Narendra Modi

Srinagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday said here that he wanted to make Kashmir a dream destination for tourists.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Kashmir

He said that in the past, when people had some money, they wanted to visit Kashmir. He added that he wanted to bring those days back.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Srinagar on Saturday on a day-long visit to Jammu and Kashmir during which he addressed a public rally.

A special aircraft carried the prime minister which landed at Srinagar International Airport around 11.20 a.m.

Modi was flown in an army helicopter to the Badami Bagh Cantonment helipad from where he reached the Sher-e-Kashmir cricket stadium in a special cavalcade.

Governor N.N. Vohra, Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, senior ministers of the ruling PDP-BJP government, senior civil and army officers received Modi at the airport.

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari is accompanying Modi, while Minister of State PMO Jitendra Singh, who arrived here on Friday, was among those who received Modi at the airport.

A large crowd of men, women and children have gathered at the venue where Modi will address the rally.

This is Modi's first visit to the valley after the Peoples Democratic Party-Bharatiya Janata Party coalition took power in the state on March 1 this year.

Modi is expected to announce a Rs.90,000 crore economic package for the state.