Incomplete railway projects bane of Majha border districts

The introduction of the high-speed Ferozepur-Delhi Vande Bharat train, flagged off yesterday by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is expected to improve connectivity and simultaneously boost trade and employment in the Malwa region.

The border parliamentary constituency of Gurdaspur, which includes the once-famous industrial hubs of Batala and Pathankot, in Majha, too, needs a shot in the arm akin to the one the Railways have given to Ferozepur. Such linkages are direly needed in Majha if it has to prosper on the manufacturing front.

A majority of the factories that flourished earlier in Batala and Pathankot have either shut down, gone bankrupt or are on the verge of closure. This is because the Railways have not shown any interest in connecting the industrial dots and lines. Many units have converted their premises into marriage palaces!

Industrialists have flatly refused to set up factories due to the lack of rail connectivity.

Consider the Qadian-Beas railway link. The 40-km track was planned and sanctioned way back in 1929 by the British government. Documents lying in the Railway Museum in New Delhi show that the line was to be constructed by the North-Western Railway. For some inexplicable reason, the work was halted in 1932 after nearly 33 percent of the track was laid down. Qadian based Sir Zafrullah Khan, who later rose to become the President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), tried to take things to their logical conclusion. However, partition forced Khan to pack his bags and settle down in Pakistan following which the prestigious project got derailed.

Leader of Opposition and Qadian legislator Partap Singh Bajwa, during his tenure as Lok Sabha MP, convinced the then Railways Minister Mamta Banerjee to complete the venture under the category of “socially desirable projects”. The plan was included in the 2010 railway budget, but the Planning Commission threw a spanner in the works. So much so, Mamta Banerjee herself had announced the construction of the track in Parliament.

Under the “socially desirable scheme”, the Railways ensure inclusive growth and provide affordable and accessible transportation, irrespective of the fact whether the venture nets it revenue.

The track could have given the much-needed oxygen to the gasping industrial units of Batala. Says Paramjit Singh Gill, a manufacturer of defence products. “Had this track fructified, we could have sent our finished goods directly to Delhi and other parts of India through Qadian and Beas. Now, we have to send our finished goods to Amritsar, from where these are transported to Delhi and other states, thereby incurring high freight charges.”

Gill’s views are echoed by his fellow businessmen.

For a long time, Batala businessmen have been demanding that the Amritsar-Batala-Pathankot track should be converted into a double-line one instead of the single-track line that exists now. “This way, raw material will arrive in double quick time. Our finished goods, too, can reach their destination quickly, increasing our profits exponentially,” said Gill.

The Railways had this project on its drawing board before it was shelved.

Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Bittu had recently asserted that the 30-km Gurdaspur-Mukerian track would be laid down soon. This, too, could have proved beneficial for the industrialist lobby. However, the district administration has received no written communication so far from the Railways.

With the construction of this line, freight moving to and from Ambala instead can be routed through Mukerian, cutting down the distance by 92 km. At present, freight traffic from the region is routed through Amritsar.

There are scores of industrial houses sitting on the sidelines, asking when will the Railways improve the industrial connectivity. Once it is done, small towns and cities of the border region will witness a flourish in their fortunes.

It is high time the Railways have a re-look at Majha and how to connect it in a better and effective way with Delhi and cities beyond.