After sixteen years of sustained effort by the engineers and workers, the dream of bringing railway connectivity to the holy town of Katra on the foothill of the Mata Vaishno Devi shrine in Udhampur district is going to come true. The Prime Minister will be giving a New Year gift to the State and the country at large. Now the pilgrims from any part of the country desirous of making a pilgrimage to Mata Vaishnov Devi will embark at their local stations and disembark at Katra. This 27-kilometer long track interspersed with many tunnels was full of difficulties and challenges for the engineers who have successfully met it, thanks to their grit and perseverance. Tunnel No 1 and No. 3 in particular gave them much trouble. In addition to natural obstructions, certain untoward incidents in the region and the activities of militants caused delay in bringing the track to completion in 2005. However, the engineers and all those connected with the completion of the track deserve our appreciation and thanks for doing a marvel of a job. We have always said that there is no dearth of merit and dedication among our people. Given a challenging assignment, they have never failed the nation. Therefore let us salute them for the gift they have given to the nation in the new year.
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