BUDGAM: Minister for Higher Education, Health, and Social Welfare, Sakina Masood Itoo on Friday inaugurated the construction of a new degree college in Chadoora, Budgam, at an estimated cost of Rs 1.2 crore.

Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said the project will significantly boost higher education infrastructure in the region and ensure better academic opportunities for students in Chadoora and adjoining areas.

The Minister was accompanied by Chadoora MLA Ali Mohammad Dar and senior district officers during the visit.

Later, responding to the People's Democratic Party's criticism of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah's recent remarks on statehood, Minister Itoo said the PDP had "lost its relevance" in Jammu and Kashmir and was resorting to baseless criticism.

"The PDP has failed the people of Jammu and Kashmir and has been widely rejected. They are now playing dirty politics to divert attention from their failures," she said.