"USBRL powerful example of continuity in governance": Congress' Jairam Ramesh ahead of inauguration of Chenab bridge
New Delhi [India], June 6 (ANI): Congress General Secretary in charge of Communications, Jairam Ramesh, on Friday stated that the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Line (USBRL) is a 'powerful' example of continuity in governance, claiming that the 135 km rail link between Baramulla and Qazigund had become operational by June 26, 2013.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Jammu and Kashmir today and inaugurate several projects, including the Chenab bridge, which is a part of USBRL.
In a post on X, Ramesh said, 'As the PM visits J&K today, here is our statement on the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Line (USBRL) that, like Brahmos, is a powerful example of continuity in governance which he never acknowledges but cannot run away from.'
Ramesh, in an official statement, said that the 272 km long USBRL was initially sanctioned in March 1995 when P.V. Narasimha Rao was Prime Minister. he added that in March 2002, it was declared a national project when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was Prime Minister.
Taking a dig at PM Modi, the Congress Rajya Sabha MP said, 'Governance involves great continuity, a fact consistently denied by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his perennial desire for self-glory.'
He further claimed that since 2014, the 111 km Katra-Banihar stretch, for which major contracts had been awarded much earlier, has been completed, adding that the contracts for the iconic Chenab Bridge had been awarded by 2005 itself to the Konkan Railway Corporation, afcons, VSK India, and Ultra Construction and Engineering Ltd of South Korea.
Mentioning a detailed timeline of the project, Ramesh said that in April 2005, Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh inaugurated the 53 km rail link between Jammu and Udhampur.
https://x.com/Jairam_Ramesh/status/1930825889505223044
'The Indian National Congress greets the people of Jammu and Kashmir on this important occasion. It also congratulates the personnel of the Indian Railways and the public sector and private companies involved in the execution of the USRBL over the past three decades. It reflects a collective resolve and the success in the face of the gravest of odds,' the statement reads.
Meanwhile, Security has been heightened in Jammu and Kashmir ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit, with authorities increasing inspections and vigilance, particularly in Katra city of Reasi district.
Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Jammu and Kashmir today and inaugurate several projects, including the Chenab bridge, the Anji bridge, and flag off Vande Bharat trains.
The Northern Railway announced the commencement of regular services of the Vande Bharat Express trains between Srinagar and Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra, which will start on June 7. The services will operate six days a week, enhancing connectivity between the Kashmir Valley and the prominent pilgrimage destination. (ANI)
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