Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday to flag off the Vande Bharat train service from Katra to Srinagar and to lay the foundation and inaugurate projects worth Rs 46,000 crore.
This visit is eagerly awaited as a potential new chapter in the union territory’s development.
PM Modi’s visit aims to fulfil a long-standing aspiration of the people of Kashmir, who have for over 70 years faced challenges in connectivity between the Valley and the rest of the country.
The entire security apparatus, including the Special Protection Group (SPG), army, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs), and local police, is maintaining strict vigilance to ensure a peaceful and smooth visit.
Meanwhile, the people of Jammu and Kashmir are hopeful that these developments will positively impact the future of the region.
The Jammu-Srinagar national highway has historically been unreliable, with even minor rainfall causing landslides, mudslides, falling stones, and road collapses, often resulting in days-long blockades.
The Vande Bharat train service will begin commercial operations on Saturday, significantly reducing the disruption caused by highway blockades.
Abdul Salam Mir, a businessman from Srinagar, said, “All our horticulture, agriculture and handicrafts, including shawls, carpets, and walnut wood furniture, etc., suffer because of the huge transportation cost and the time taken for such products to reach the terminal markets.”
“For Kashmir’s future generations, this story is now going to be a forgotten tale of the past. Goods trains will now transport our produce in the shortest possible time at low freight and without any uncertainty about arrival,” he further added.
The train service will benefit students travelling for education, patients seeking medical treatment, businesspeople visiting markets, and ordinary travellers in the Kashmir Valley.
Tourists, entrepreneurs, and professionals from outside the Valley will also gain from improved connectivity.
Krishen Chand, a resident of Katra, asserted, “From the point of view of integration and unity of the country, the railway link between Kashmir to Kanyakumari is a powerful political message the PM is going to send from Katra town today.”
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