Dhumal demands rail line from Bilaspur to Leh

Dhumal demands rail line from Bilaspur to Leh

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader and former Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal met Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the weekend and raised the issue of laying a rail line from Bilaspur in Himachal to Leh in Jammu & Kashmir.

While congratulating Mr. Modi for the successful presentation of the Union Budget by his government, Mr. Dhumal requested him for spending at least Rs 100 crore on this rail line out of the total sum of Rs 1,000 crore announced by the Finance Minister for improving the rail network in the border areas of the country.

On a war footing

The Bhanupalli-Barmana-Mandi-Kullu-Manali-Keylong-Leh rail line should be developed on the pattern of the rail network in north-eastern States on a war footing, he said. The project could be utilised for the uplift of tourism prospects and could prove a viable alternative for transporting arms-ammunition and rations for the forces stationed at the high altitude areas, he suggested.

Mr. Dhumal also welcomed the initiation of surveys for the two rail lines in the hill State and requested the Prime Minister to speed up the work and allot more funds for the only broad gauge rail line of Una-Nangal-Talwara in Himachal.

He also thanked the Prime Minister for allotment of IIM for Himachal and declaration of Rs 1,000 crore for the benefit of ex-servicemen in the one-rank, one-pension scheme.

Source: The Hindu