Start work on city-Ferozepur rail link, say NGOs
Tribune News Service
Amritsar, April 4
Ahead of Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu’s visit to Amritsar on Sunday, various city-based NGOs demanded time-bound start of work on the railway link between Amritsar-Ferozepur and trains to other destinations.
Punjab Pradesh Beopar Mandal (PPBM) president Amrit Lal Jain said there was an urgent requirement of fast trains from Amritsar to important destinations in the country. At present Amritsar has only one Shatabdi Express, the fastest train which reaches New Delhi in five hours and forty-five minutes. It remains crowded and the people do not get tickets for a numbers of days. He requested to start another such fast up and down train between Amritsar and the national capital along with fully AC chair car with pantry to cope with the rush.
Jain said, “Please start a Jan-Shatabdi train between Amritsar and Katra to facilitate pilgrims to reach Mata Vaishno Devi shrine and to consolidate the tourist circuit between Amritsar and Jammu and Kashmir.”
Apart from the PPBM, representatives of Amritsar Vikas Manch (AVM) said during the last 67 years, Railways was not able to provide a direct rail link between Amritsar and Ferozepur. Former Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal had announced a direct rail link between Amritsar and Ferozepur in the 2013 railway budget. They said during all these years a 25.47 km rail track could not be laid between Makhu-Patti in Ferozepur division. AVM patron, Dr Charanjit Singh Gumtala, said a direct rail link between Amritsar and Ferozepur would reduce the present distance from 196 km to 82 km.
He said, “It will cut distance between Amritsar and Mumbai by 240 km, besides connecting the region with Rajasthan and Gujarat. Two important parts of Punjab, Majha and Malwa will also be directly connected. Moreover, the distance between Jammu and Mumbai will be reduced by 267 km.”
“The Railways will have to build two bridges on Hari-ke-patan and 25.47 km long track will have to be laid to provide a direct rail link. This rail link is crucial for the development of border areas of four states, including, Jammu Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat,” he added.
Gumtala said Rs 20 crore was allotted for the 2015-16 financial year for the railway link. He said he had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Finance Minister and Railway Minister on February 20 for allocation of funds for the rail link during the current budget.
In reply to his letter the DRM office, Northern Railway, Ferozepur, had stated: “Work on 25km long Ferozepur - Patti costing Rs147 crore will be started. Funds amounting to Rs 20 for the work have been allotted during the 2015-16 financial year.”
Gumtala said it had not been declared how much time it would take to complete this work. He said it would also help to export basmati rice and other items from Amritsar via Kandla port in Gujarat. “Passengers travel time will also be reduced by five to six hours. It will be easier to visit holy shrines falling along this route as pilgrims have to travel by buses,” he added.
