Major railway projects get going in Malwa region

Gagan K Teja

Tribune News Service

Patiala, May 20

In a major boost for the Malwa region, the work on three main railway projects worth Rs 2,326 crore sanctioned during the rail budget 2016-2017 have begun.

This will be a big boost for the overall development of the region and will give industry a major push.

The first project is for doubling the Rajpura-Bathinda rail link and the Northern Railway has already floated the tenders of Rs 1,720 crore.

Moreover, the electrification work of Rs 200 crore Rajpura-Bathinda rail link has also taken off from Kauli village near Rajpura and the work in 4 km stretch has already been completed.

With the completion of this project likely within one year, the railways plans to divert some premium trains from Ludhiana to Rajpura via Dhuri, as electrification work on Ludhiana-Dhuri rail link has already started from Gill village on the outskirts of Ludhiana.

Meanwhile, the actual location survey of Rs 406 crore Rajpura-Mohali rail link of 24 km, which had been a long pending demand of the area to connect Malwa to the state capital, has also been ordered by the Ministry of Railways and soil testing will be done to see where the rail line could be laid and bridges could be constructed.

MP Dr Dharamvira Gandhi had been meeting PM Narendra Modi and Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu for the approval of these projects and it is largely due to his efforts that the projects had been given approved.

Dr Gandhi informed that the projects will be a boon for the Malwa and will connect Punjab, Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh.

While the Railway Ministry has already ordered the actual location survey for the Rajpura-Mohali rail link, Dr Gandhi has written a letter to Deputy CM Sukhbir Badal to discuss the plan to acquire land for the Rajpura-Mohali rail link.

Water wasted for a dust-free welcome to Union Minister Harsimrat

• Malout: Even though the Local Bodies Department has told all civic bodies to save water and penalise those wasting water, officials here on Friday sprinkled a lot of water on roads to give a dust-free welcome to Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal.
• Harsimrat had come here to flag off the Sriganganagar-Nanded Sahib train. Throwing rules to wind, officials deployed tankers to sprinkle water on the route marked for VVIP’s visit.
• A social activist said, “The officials must be fined. The Deputy Commissioner should take a suo motu action in this regard.”
• Executive Officer Jagsir Singh, however, said, “No water was sprinkled on the road. Tankers were deployed as part of drinking water arrangements.” — Archit Watts