Rishikesh-Karanprayag rail line priority project: MP

Tribune News Service

Haridwar, March 5

Rajya Sabha MP from Uttarakhand Tarun Vijay today said the Rishikesh-Karanprayag railway line was a priority project for the Union government. The railway project has been delayed due to the slow pace of the technical-assessment work on it.

Tarun was in Haridwar today to lay the foundation stone of a waiting lounge and a night shelter at the railway station. He has provided funds for the lounge and the night shelter from his MPLAD funds. He said soon Purola in Uttarkashi and New Tehri in Garhwal division would be connected by a rail network, which would be vital for local people, pilgrims, tourists and the Army.

He claimed that he was the first parliamentarian to provide Rs 2 crore to the Railways, as suggested by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Tarun, a former editor of RSS mouthpiece Panch Janya, announced that he would provide money from his MPLAD fund or steel chairs at all railway stations of Uttarakhand. On the delay in release of funds for Ardh Kumbh to the Uttarakhand government, he claimed that the Centre had provided assistance but the state government was misusing it. Haridwar MP Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank lauded Tarun’s initiative and said it was a good example of using MPLAD fund for the benefit of people, who come to Uttarakhand every year.