Jammu, Oct 24: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and MLA Nagrota, Devender Singh Rana on Friday urged the Union Minister for Railways Ashwani Vaishnav and Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to establish a full-fledged Railway Division in Jammu, keeping in view the city’s immense strategic, cultural and economic significance
Interacting with deputations here this morning, Rana said the issue will be taken up proactively for an earnest consideration, to dispense with dependence on the Ferozpur Division.
Such a step will not only revive the pristine glory of Jammu used to be a major railway junction pre-partition but also give impetus to growth and job generation in a big way, he said.
The BJP leader said, “Time has come to assuage the urges and aspirations of Jammu, a most prominent pilgrim city of North India and gateway to adventurous places, Ladakh and picturesque Kashmir Valley. As such, the establishment of a Railway Division will give impetus to rail infrastructure as new destinations like the valley and Pir Panchal region are on the anvil, as a result of Naya Jammu Kashmir vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.”
Rana said the establishment of the Railway Division will bring considerable benefits in terms of regional development and public convenience, as Jammu serves as a main hub for over ten million pilgrims, thronging from various parts of the country and even abroad 24x7x365. “Such a facility will help create necessary facilities for Shri Mata Vaishno Devi shrine-bound pilgrims and millions of adventure and nature lovers embarking on a trip to the valley and Ladakh,” he added.
He hoped that the Ministry of Railways will take a considerate view of the proposal which he said will be a “path-breaking” step towards regional development and national integration.
