JAMMU: Conceding to the demand of Jammu and Kashmir National Conference, Union Minister for Railways Suresh Prabhu on Saturday agreed running of a superfast train between Jammu and Ajmer Sharief, saying another train to Hardiwar will also be considered. Interacting with a delegation of the Provincial Committee of National Conference led by Provincial President Devender Singh Rana, the minister also passed on-the-spot instructions for haltage of the Jammu-Udhampur DMU at Pounthal and Kishenpur in Nagrota and running of an additional DMU on the route.
The delegation comprised Senior State Vice President Surjeet Singh Slathia, State Vice Presidents Peer Mushtaq Ahmed Bukhari, Thakur Kashmira Singh, Rattan Lal Gupta, State Secretary, Th Rachpal Singh besides Dr. Kamal Arora, MLA Jugal Mahajan, Anil Dhar, Dharamveer Singh Jamwal, Sheikh Bashir Ahmad and Israr Khan.
A.K Putha, General Manager, Northern Railways and Amit Parkash, Divisional Railway Manager Ferozepur were also present on the occasion.
The delegation urged the minister that limited stop superfast Ajmer Sharief bound train should depart from Jammu in the evening so that it reaches the destination in the morning and returns back on the evening each day.
The minister also assured consideration of central heating in the trains running between Banihal and Baramulla, saying the Indian Railways was committed to provide better services to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. “This has to be a collective effort”, the minister added.
On the demand for extension of railways up to Poonch and Rajouri in the Jammu region, Suresh Prabhu said that the issue will be discussed with the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of Home Affairs to arrive at an earnest decision. He also assured consideration of the demand for running trains between Jammu and Dehradun and Jammu and Chandigarh.
The delegation invited the attention of the Union Minister towards the shabby and dilapidated condition of the Jammu Railway Station, saying that the junction which remains destination of at least 30,000 pilgrims every day (on both sides), ought to have been modern and well equipped in terms of facilities and infrastructure. But, on the contrary, it not only lacks the facilities to a large extent but also does not possess the aesthetic ambiance which such an important station should have”, the delegation said in a memorandum presented to the Union Minister.
The memorandum stated that during the tenure of National Conference, the then Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had taken up at the highest level the issue with regard to extension of railways up to Poonch and Rajouri Districts and despite repeated assurances, nothing has materialised so far. This needs to be examined and appropriate action taken earnestly keeping in view the strategic importance of this state.
Similarly, National Conference sought the completion of Rail Project, which has already been declared a National Project, up to Baramulla.
The project is already delayed and needs to be expedited to have it completed within re-fixed time schedule, the delegation maintained.
About stoppage at Pounthal, situated on both sides of the track, 25 kilometers from Jammu Tawi Junction, the memorandum stated that the village is without any mode of surface transport due to rugged hilly terrain. The DMU service, therefore, would have been a boon and blessing for this inaccessible village but for the myopic planning while fixing and finalising stop-overs. The village deserved a halting point the most, not only because of non-availability of any transport but for the significant reason that the dwellers had parted precious chunk of their land for laying the track. The delegation sought another haltage point at Kishenpur.
The Union Minister gave on-the spot directions to senior railway officials for the haltage points at Pounthal and Kishenpur.
The delegation also drew the attention of the Union Minister towards the railway crossing at the Gurha to Utterbani Road in Samba District and said that due to heavy rush of railway traffic the road traffic movement remains blocked for about five to six hours and to combat this problem, a flyover was needed to be constructed to benefit a population of more than one lakh.