Minister of State for Railways Smt. Darshana Vikram Jardosh met Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, Sh. Pushkar Singh Dhami yesterday in Dehradun. Both leaders discussed in detail the status of various ongoing railway projects in the state. This included electrification of sections, doubling of already existing lines, station redevelopment plans and new line projects. Sh. Ashutosh Gangal, General Manager Northern Railway, Divisional Railway Manager, Moradabad, Sh. Ajay Nandan, senior officials of Northern Railway were also present on the occasion.
Elaborating about the meeting the two Ministers said that emphasis is on increasing the presence of railways in Uttarakhand. The rail connectivity to different locations in the Himalayan state will make travel much safer, economical and comfortable. Railways being environment friendly and an all-weather mass transportation system will be ideal for the ecologically sensitive region. This will boost the economy of the region and provide employment, marketing and business opportunities to the people.
The Minister visited the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag Project site ahead of Rishikesh today. She saw the tunnel boring work there. Reviewing the status of work on the Broad-gauge Rail line, the MoSR said that work is going on at a fast pace and all efforts are to complete the prestigious project on time. She also added that along with the rail project the Railway is also building roads which is providing connectivity to several far-flung villages in the hills.
On the Chardham circuit in Uttarakhand, the Minister said that preliminary studies have been encouraging. Further surveys are being conducted by the competent experts to ascertain the feasibility features of the project. She also elaborated that several stations in Uttarakhand are to be redeveloped and fortified with new amenities. This will be helpful for the tourists and pilgrims visiting the state.
(EW Correspondent)
