PM Modi reviews progress of Jammu-Baramulla Rail Link project

SRINAGAR: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today reviewed the progress of the Jammu-Baramulla rail link project and directed the Railway Board to remove all hurdles in its timely completion.

Modi reviewed the development of the Jammu-Baramulla rail link during his fourth monthly video conference under his pro-active Governance and Timely Implementation (PRAGATI) initiative, with Union Secretaries of various Ministries and Chief Secretaries of States, an official spokesman said here.

State Chief Secretary Iqbal Khandey also took part in the video conference, he said.

"The Prime Minister in respect of Jammu and Kashmir reviewed the progress of Jammu-Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link Project. He directed the Chairman of Railway Board, A K Mittal, to remove all bottlenecks in the timely completion of the prestigious project," the spokesman said.

Earlier, Mittal, briefing the Prime Minister, said 215 km of the total 326 km long rail link project has already been completed, but the remaining 111 km Katra-Banihal section is still under construction and only 35 per cent work of the said section is complete.

"The Katra-Banihal section passes through difficult terrain, moreover, many PILs have been filed in different courts over the years which has caused delay in the timely completion of the project," he said.

He said the construction work on this section has been undertaken through three agencies viz Northern Railway (5km), Konkan Railway (35 km) and Ircon Railway (71 km). The work involves construction of 40 bridges (7 km) and 28 tunnels of 94 km length.

The 54 km Jammu-Udhampur section was commissioned in 2005 and the remaining 272 km portion between Udhampur and Baramulla was declared as National Project. Till date, the 118 km section of Qazigund-Baramulla, 18km section of Qazigund-Banihal and the 25 km section of Udhampur-Katra have been completed.