Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Dec 11: Scores of people from several villages today blocked the Special Train of General Manager, Northern Railway near Gulbagh in Ratnipora area of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district, demanding construction of a halt station for their convenient travel.
The people from Ratnipora, Puchal, Gulbagh, and other villagers this morning stopped the rail of General Manager Railways AK Puthia who was on Valley visit and demanded halt station at Ratnipora. The protesters said it has been their long pending demand from the day one and presented a memorandum to the General Manager.
Witnesses said soon after handing the memorandum the Railways General Manager assured the protesters that he will look into their demand. The protesters said that they have met almost all senior revenue and Railways officials but so far their demand has not been met.
Reports said the area has a huge working population that does not take advantage of the rail line because of the absence of the halt station. The locals have held several protests in the past for the same demand. Meanwhile after handing over the memorandum the locals dispersed off peacefully and the train service was restored.
Meanwhile, the General Manager visited various work sites of ongoing works of Banihal-Katra section of Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramula Rail Link (USBRL) National Project yesterday, a Railways official said. He was accompanied by the Chief Administrative Officer/ Construction SK Kaul and senior Railway officers of IRCON and officials of HCC associated with the construction. Puthia was apprised of the details of progress of ongoing works of the project there by SK Kaul, the official said.
“The General Manager reviewed the progress of pending works of the project including the site office of Main Tunnel No. T-74 R at Banihal. During the visit Puthia also discussed the progress of the project with the officers of IRCON at the site of the major Tunnel number T-74 R Khari (Banihal). Later he inspected Tunnel T-48 north portal and Tunnel T-49A south portal in Sumner area. Going over all the aspects of construction being undertaken, Puthia directed the officers to expedite works to keep up with targeted completion of the Katra-Banihal section by December 2018,” the official said in a statement.
Prior to his visit at the tunnel site, Puthia along with the team of officers from Construction department and Ferozepur Division of Northern Railway did a window trailing of the Srinagar-Banihal Section also, the official added.
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