Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday (January 6, 2025) allayed fears of negative consequences for Jammu following the launch of direct rail service between Kashmir and the rest of the country in the near term, saying his government will ensure that the region benefits. immensely for the completion of the long pending project.
Abdullah was speaking at a function organized in Jammu in connection with the digital inauguration of the Jammu railway division by Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of the start of direct train service to Kashmir from Katra, with the final test scheduled for Tuesday.
“Two days ago, we got the good news through media that the test train has reached Katra from Srinagar. The Prime Minister is expected to inaugurate this section very soon which will complete the railway line and greatly benefit the people of the region. ” said the prime minister.
However, he said there are some concerns among people regarding the rail service, especially in Jammu.
“It is often said that when the rail service reached Jammu from Pathankot (Punjab), the situation in Pathankot became a bit difficult. Here too, in some places, there is a thought that if trains reach Kashmir directly from Jammu, the latter might face the same situation as Pathankot.
“On behalf of my government, I want to assure the people of Jammu that the rail service to Kashmir will not have any impact on the region. Rather, we assure that Jammu will benefit from it as it will improve trade and tourism, besides increasing travel. between the two regions,” said Mr. Abdullah.
Praising the prime minister for his efforts to improve connectivity and road network in Jammu and Kashmir, Abdullah said expansion of railway line to Poonch-Rajouri in Jammu and beyond Baramulla in Kashmir will be the responsibility of the railway division. of Jammu.
“In my previous tenure as chief minister, the last function I attended was the inauguration of Katra railway station. After taking up the role again, this is my first major role. And both are linked to railways and are carried out under Modi’s leadership.” said.
The inauguration of the Jammu division is the biggest test of the prime minister’s efforts to improve connectivity and road network in the region, he said.
The ongoing work on the Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway project, construction of four lane Jammu-Srinagar National Highway, Z-morh and Zojila tunnels to provide road connectivity to Ladakh in all weather conditions, along with the airport expansion, will further improve connectivity upon completion, he stated.
Praising the Railway Ministry, Abdullah said people used to get off the train at Pathankot before it slowly reached Jammu, but in the last four decades, the railway service kept expanding, first from Jammu to Udhampur and then from Udhampur to Katra .
Similarly, rail service started in Kashmir from Srinagar to Baramulla, and was extended to Anantnag and Banihal and later to Sangaldan, he said.
Referring to the sharp rise in air fares during the winter months when most roads remain closed in Kashmir due to heavy snowfall, Mr Abdullah said: “We are forced to buy flight tickets worth Rs 5,000 for Rs 25,000… I hope that The new rail service will not only benefit the railways but will also boost trade and industries with the addition of freight trains.”
Abdullah congratulated the people of J&Ok for getting a separate railway division in Jammu and said that it was a long pending demand which has now been fulfilled.
“I am grateful to Prime Minister Modi and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw,” he said.
“The most important thing is that our coordination and management will not be from Firozpur (railway division), but from Jammu. And in this, we will definitely see benefits in recruiting. A small part of Punjab and a part of Himachal Pradesh have been added to this too,” Abdullah said.
Published – January 6, 2025 03:06 pm IST
