PM asked me to make J&K shine so that people of PoK want to come here: Malik

Jammu: Prime Minister Narendra Modi told me to make Jammu and Kashmir so prosperous that the people of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) would want to come and settle here, said Governor Satya Pal Malik on Saturday.

"When I came to take charge of Jammu and Kashmir, Prime Minister told me that make Jammu and Kashmir shine so much that people of PoK would want to cross the border over to our side and say proudly, this is our Kashmir," Malik said addressing the audience at an event here.

Malik was speaking at the electronic foundation stone laying ceremony for the upcoming 100-bed State Cancer Institute at Government Medical College hospital here.

The Jammu and Kashmir Governor said that the Centre was eager to help the people of the region and urged them to come forward with their demands.

"The Central government has given us 8 medical colleges this year alone, which is more than what has been given to any other state in the country. We are soon going to have 4,500 doctors in the state. This is the perfect time for development in the region, I would request the people to keep the pressure on their politicians. Union Home Minister Amit Shahji meeting sarpanch of the villages from the state is a sign that the Centre is standing there with open arms," Malik said.

He said that the upcoming cancer institute will prove to be very beneficial for the state's residents and recounted his own battle with the deadly disease.

"I did not want to come here, because I have personally battled cancer, although I think having a cancer institute is a big thing. But the reason I did not want to come here was because I lost my wife to cancer eight years ago, and I was with her at every step during the 11 years of her fight against the disease. I finally decided to come because this institute would give the people an opportunity to get cured," he said.