Garhwal Post Bureau
Dehradun, 11 Feb: “Arrangements should be made so that escape tunnels constructed alongside main tunnels in the state’s proposed rail projects can be developed as parallel roads. An action plan should be prepared regarding how the escape tunnels built in the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag rail line project can be utilised in the future, and work should also be carried out on the feasibility of extending the rail line from Karnaprayag to Bageshwar.”
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami gave these instructions during a review meeting of under-construction and proposed rail projects in the state held at the Secretariat on Wednesday.
The Chief Minister directed officials to work swiftly on the Tanakpur-Bageshwar rail line project. He stated that various alternative routes should also be considered under this project. He mentioned that work should be done on the possibilities of connecting the Almora and Someshwar regions so that the majority of the area and the public can benefit from the construction of this project.
The Chief Minister said that the Central Government would be requested to declare the Tanakpur-Bageshwar rail line project a National Project, which would accelerate its construction work.
The Chief Minister directed officials to create an integrated plan for the railway stations proposed under the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag project so that markets for local people can be developed around these stations. He said that special arrangements should also be made at all under-construction railway stations for self-help groups and the sale of local products of the state.
The Chief Minister instructed officials to motivate people for self-employment in the areas surrounding the proposed railway stations starting now, and to focus on public awareness regarding homestays and other public welfare schemes.
He stated that a roadmap should be prepared for the development of various villages, towns, religious places, and other tourist spots located near the under-construction railway stations. He said that proper redevelopment of the areas around the proposed railway stations should be carried out to make travel convenient for the large number of people coming to Uttarakhand in the future, after the completion of the rail projects.
He was informed at the meeting that 72.5 percent of the work under the Rishikesh-Karnaprayag rail line project has been completed, and 95.30 percent of the tunnel construction work is finished. A total of 28 tunnels are being constructed under this project, including 16 main tunnels and 12 escape tunnels. Additionally, various proposed railway stations are being constructed based on different themes. These include Shivpuri station based on Neelkanth Mahadev, Byasi on Maharishi Ved Vyas, Devprayag on Samudra Manthan, Janasu on Uttarakhand Culture, Maletha on Veer Madho Singh Bhandari, Srinagar on Maa Raj Rajeshwari Devi, Dhari Devi on Maa Dhari Devi, Tilani on Kedarnath, Gholtir on Panch Mahadev, Gauchar on Bal Govind Krishna, and Karnaprayag on Badrinath Temple and Radha Krishna themes.
Regarding the Tanakpur-Bageshwar rail line project, it was stated that three survey options have been proposed by the Railways. Furthermore, work is also being done on plans to connect alternative routes and the Almora and Someshwar regions with this rail route.
The meeting was attended by Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan, Principal Secretaries RK Sudhanshu, R Meenakshi Sundaram, Secretaries Brajesh Kumar Sant, Pankaj Pandey, Chief Project Manager Himanshu Badoni, Vijay, Om Prakash, Suman Singh, Kalyan Singh Bhandari, Sanat Kumar Singh, and railway officials via virtual medium.
