STATE TIMES NEWS
New Delhi: Seeking early restoration of train service in the Valley, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti on Saturday met Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu and discussed various issues involving development of rail sector in the state.
The two met here and discussed at length about the restoration of all train services in the Valley at the earliest after taking necessary security clearance, according to a Railway Ministry official.
Proposals for a special train for children to be run every 15 days, IRCTC-run special trains to promote tourism and commissioning of glass top coaches at the earliest were taken up during the meeting, the official added.
Railway services were suspended in the Valley in the wake of the unrest that began in July in which rail infrastructure and tracks were also damaged.
Prabhu apprised Mufti that railways would be organising a vendor development camp in the Valley soon to showcase the items required by the railways which can be supplied by vendors of the state.
The Railway Minister informed Mehbooba Mufti that IRCTC would serve as an interface to boost the sale of local handicrafts.
A camp would be organised inviting the local artisans to showcase their merchandise which can then be supplied to the railways, the official said.
Besides, the IRCTC will contribute in popularising the Kashmiri cuisine through static and dynamic catering units of the railways, the official added.
The railways will also work towards firming up the seasonal tourism packages starting with the winter package of 2016 for attracting tourists to Pahalgam, Gulmarg, Katra, Sonmarg etc on similar lines as has been done to promote Buddhist tourism, semi-luxury tourism and luxury tourism.
Spelling out her ideas, Mehbooba Mufti requested providing stalls at various Railway Stations to showcase the handicraft products from the State. She also suggested introduction of products from J and K on the portal of Indian Railways and inclusion of Kashmiri cuisine in Railway menu. This, she said, would introduce crafts and cuisine of the State among a vast population of railway passengers.
Mehbooba also sought support of the Railways in promoting tourism in the State. She requested running of tourism special trains and increasing frequency of many other already running trains to the State. She suggested adding Glass Top Railway Coaches in trains operating within the State to let the passengers enjoy the scenery and flora and fauna of Jammu and Kashmir onboard.
She also suggested introduction of see-through luxury trains from Qazigund to Baramulla and Jammu to Katra to familiarize tourists with the Natural beauty of the State and attract more of them.
The Chief Minister requested the Union Minister for starting a Jammu to Amritsar train in the morning and Amritsar to Jammu train in the evening besides running special trains from Mumbai, Kolkatta, Ahmadabad etc. during peak tourist season to enhance the tourist footfall to the State. She also requested changing the timings of Delhi-Jammu Rajdhani Express to promote tourists to spend atleast a day at Jammu. She also requested for connecting more and more tourist spots in the State with railway network in the State.
About the ongoing Railway projects in the State, the Chief Minister requested expediting work on Jammu-Srinagar rail link which she said on completion would not only improve connectivity to Kashmir Valley but also improve the trade and social connectivity between people of Jammu and Kashmir regions. She also requested inclusion of more stops on the Banihal-Baramulla track and creation of more job opportunities for the youth of the State in Railway infrastructure in the State. Senior officials of Indian Railways were present during the meeting. Earlier, the Chief Minister arrived in the national capital on a three days visit.
