Congress credits decades of ‘continuity in governance' for J&K's Chenab bridge
Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurating the world's highest railway arch bridge — the Chenab bridge — in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Friday said the 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL), of which the bridge is a part, is the result of governance by successive governments over the past three decades.
Ramesh pointed out that the USBRL project was first sanctioned in 1995 under the P.V. Narasimha Rao government and had made steady progress since. '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,' he said.
Modi, who is set to inaugurate the Chenab Bridge and flag off the Vande Bharat Express between Katra and Srinagar on Friday, wrote on X, 'Tomorrow, 6th June is indeed a special day for my sisters and brothers of Jammu and Kashmir. Key infrastructure projects worth ₹46,000 crores are being inaugurated, which will have a very positive impact on people's lives. In addition to being an extraordinary feat of architecture, the Chenab Rail Bridge will improve connectivity between Jammu and Srinagar. The Anji Bridge stands tall as India's first cable-stayed rail bridge in a challenging terrain.'
Tracing the timeline of the USBRL project, Ramesh said, 'The 272 km long Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Line (USBRL) was initially sanctioned in March 1995 when P.V. Narasimha Rao was Prime Minister. In March 2002, it was declared as a national project when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was Prime Minister. Subsequently, on April 13, 2005, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inaugurated the 53 km rail link between Jammu and Udhampur. On October 11, 2008, PM Singh inaugurated the 66 km rail link between Anantnag and Mazhom outside Srinagar. On February 14, 2009, PM Singh inaugurated the 31 km rail link between Mazhom outside Srinagar and Baramulla. On October 29, 2009, Prime Minister PM Singh inaugurated the 18 km rail link between Anantnag and Qazigund. On June 26, 2013, PM Singh inaugurated the 11 km Qazigund to Banihal rail link.'
'This meant by June 26, 2013, the 135-km rail link between Baramulla and Qazigund had become operational. The inauguration of the 25-km rail link between Udhampur and Katra had to be put off because of the election code of conduct for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections. It was inaugurated by the new Prime Minister on July 4, 2014, thirty-nine days after he had taken over,' he added.
Ramesh also claimed that by 2014, a 111-km stretch of the USBRL had already been completed. 'The contract for the iconic Chenab Bridge was awarded by 2005 to Konkan railway corporation, Afcons, VSK India, and Ultra Construction and Engineering Ltd of South Korea,' he said.
'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 USBRL over the past three decades. It reflects a collective resolve and success in the face of the gravest of odds,' he added.
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