Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Aug 21: In a significant strategic decision taken keeping in view the future requirements of the troops in border States especially to meet with any eventuality, the Railways and Defence Ministries have joined hands to jointly develop some important Railway Stations, located close to the borders, which would meet long term requirements of the Army in case of some major terror attacks or hostilities.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar and Railways Minister Suresh Prabhu have already held meetings in this regard in the Union capital, which were followed by series of meetings by the officers of the two Ministries to give final shape to the proposal before undertaking the strategic projects in hands.
Sources told the Excelsior that important Railway Stations, being developed with strategic considerations in mind in the Phase-I included Jammu Tawi and Pathankot apart from Mhow, Agra Cantonment, Jabalpur, Ambala, Guwahati, Dibrugarh, Jodhpur and Barmer.
“Not only the Railways Stations of border States but some others, which have Army Cantonments and high presence of troops, were also being taken up for development in the Phase-I. They would help mobilization of the troops in surrounding areas within no time,’’ sources said, adding that the two Ministries would work on more Railway Stations once the stations, which were being undertaken in hands in Phase-I were completed and the experiment was proved successful.
“The Engineering wing of the Army would conduct survey of strategic railway stations first and list requirements of the troops during any kind of build-up before the projects are given final shape and construction work launched on them. However, the Railway Stations would be developed in such a way that both during normal times as well as during build-up, the normal activity of the passengers was no way affected,’’ sources said, adding for the purpose the officials of both the Ministries—Defence and Railways will work in close coordination with each other during the construction period.
Sources said the Indian Railway Station Development Corporation and Rail Land Development will assist the Army in the survey, which would be carried out before undertaking construction work in the hands as everything has to be done keeping in view the Army requirements—both during peace time as well as any kind of hostilities but, at the same time, the Railways had to ensure that normal activities of the passengers and movement of trains go on unhindered during and after the construction and passengers didn’t face any kind of inconvenience.
Sources said with Army becoming a partner in the ambitious station redevelopment project, the stations will also have adequate infrastructure for the Army’s strategic needs and requirements.
“Many of the Railway stations cater to mobilization of troops and ammunition. If the Army takes up redevelopment of these stations, they can create infrastructure that suits their purpose on all occasions,” sources said.
Sources said the Railways Ministry has found four other funding partners to redevelop the railway stations.
They included partnership with private parties (PPP), country-to-country cooperation, financial assistance from the World Bank and joint ventures with the State Governments.
It may be mentioned here that the Defence Ministry had recently take up a major initiative of converting strips along National Highways and Expressways, falling along the borders and other strategic areas, into air strips to use them for immediate build up of the troops to counter any terror threat or in case of any hostilities on the borders.
The surveys for identification of such air strips has already begun, sources said, adding that the Indian Air Force has also conducted trial at one place for landing its chopper along the air strip of the National Highway.
“The experiment was successful,’’ sources said.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel