A high-level delegation of Uttarakhand BJP met the Railway Minister, Suresh Prabhu, in Delhi on Friday. The State BJP leaders appealed to the Union Minister to expand the railway service in the State, particularly laying the tracks for the much-awaited Rishikesh-Karnprayag rail service, and improve the existing services. They also raised a host of other rail-related issues, addressing which would ease problems of the rail travellers. The Railway Minister is likely to visit the State in the coming months to speed up matters.
The delegation comprised Uttarkahand BJP in-charge Shyam Jaju, State BJP president Ajay Bhatt, Garhwal MP and former Chief Minister CM Maj Gen Bhuwan Chandra Khanduri, former general secretary organisation Dhan Singh Rawat and the former Speaker Prakash Pant.
They emphasised on the prompt work of laying railway tracks for the Rishikesh-Karnprayag rail line. They said that it is a must to facilitate the tourists who while coming in their hordes to visit the state are being inconvenienced with scant railway service here. Besides, they stressed on starting work on Tanakpur-Bageshwar rail line. They said these works can be delayed only to the detriment of the interests of the hill state.
They also mentioned that the railway crossings are creating hassles for the people. They impressed upon the Union minister the need to firm up a plan to make the railway crossings free of congestions in most of the busy routes like Mohkampur, Raiwala and Dehradun-Haridwar through construction of by- pass roads. They also told the minister that Kathgodam-Dehradun train should start from Haldwani by 9 pm to ensure that more and more people are benefitted. They said that AC first class coach should be attached to the train. As currently one coach is divided into second AC and AC three- tier the number of passenger being benefited is small. They said that as there is a large number of people kept waiting to get their seats confirmed in the AC coaches the train users are being harassed.
The state BJP leaders demanded that railway should introduce new day- time trains between Dehradun and Haldwani. If this comes up the people who go to Nainital high court along with other passengers will be benefitted, they said.
They also demanded that the much-used Jim Corbett Park train should have AC coach and the sanitation facility in the train should be improved.
The delegation also invited the railway minister to visit Uttarakhand to see things himself. The minister is learnt to have assured them to visit the state either in September or in October.