NEW DELHI : Railway has identified militancy-affected Jammu and Kashmir and insurgency-hit North Eastern areas of the country to give special attention for faster rail network growth.
Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu in his maiden budget speech in the Lok Sabha today said the connectivity between Jammu region and the Kashmir valley through the Banihal tunnel provides all-weather connectivity with the rest of the country.
“The commissioning of Udhampur-Katra is like a dream come true for millions of pilgrims,” Mr Prabhu said. He said the Railway was committed to providing rail connectivity to all the North Eastern states. Meghalaya has been brought on the railway map of India and direct connectivity to Delhi has been provided from Arunachal Pradesh, he added.
The Minister said the Barak Valley in Assam would be brought on broad gauge by March this year. The work for connecting the remaining states of the NE region was progressing well.
(UNI)
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