In these columns we have take up the issue of re-development of the most important and busy railway stations of Jammu Tawi and Udhampur. For years at end there was not even the slightest response from the Railways to the pressing demand of the public as well as the pilgrim tourists that the two railway stations need to be give a modern look become they are too primitive to meet their requirements of present day railway station with brisk communication and transportation of hundreds of thousands of passengers every day and every night. The people had heaved a sigh of relief when a year ago, Railways announced creating Jammu division after delinking J&K from Firozpur Division of Northern Railways. But finding that there was no movement in official circles to the purpose of initiating re-development work at Jammu and Udhampur stations, a pall of gloom has fallen on the people who need to travel often by railway to and from Jammu.
We need not emphasize the importance of the two aforementioned railway stations. The flow of pilgrims to Mata Vaishno Devi shrine atop Katra and to Shri Amarnath ji cave in Kashmir annually has crossed 1.5 crore and is fast heading to 2 crore. These pilgrim tourists come from all the four corners of the county. Rush on Udhampur and Jammu Tawi railway stations has increased manifold. But the space remains the same that as was allotted to the Railways when the rail line was brought to Jammu during 1960s. Udhampur railway station is a later development but prior to that there has been general cry and anger among the people on immensely outdated railway station of Jammu and the Railways Ministry bringing no relief to their suffering. However, at the time of inaugurating Katra railway station, the Railway Minister speaking to the gathering assured that the Railway Ministry was fully seized of the need of up-grading some important railway stations in the State with priority for Jammu Railway Station. Creation of Jammu Division and detachment of J&K from the erstwhile Firozpur Division further reinforced the hope that Jammu Railway Station would be re-developed. More than a year has passed and still there appears no movement in the context of any improvement in the structure at Jammu Railway Station. However, the Railways Ministry did make some movement in the sense that it has directed the State Government to clear the deck for acquisition of adjoining land in Jammu and Udhampur Railway stations, obtain clearance from various departments and get the land mutated under existing rules to the railways. For this purpose the State Government constituted a Standing Committee of at least eight administrative secretaries headed by the Financial Commissioner Planning and Development Department on April 1 this year to look to the tasks that are needed to be fulfilled for re-development of Railway Stations in Jammu. Even some members of the Committee do not know that they have been opted as members. Some of them contacted by us did not even know the purpose for which the Standing Committee was constituted. The most surprising part is that the letters claimed to be sent to the members and other sources are shown as dispatched but actually the members express ignorance about the entire affair.
Is it lethargy, irresponsibility or is it reflection of deep seated conspiracy at some unknown level against Jammu.
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