Omar Abdullah: From Rail to Ring Roads, J&K Projects Advancing Fast Toward a Developed India

Omar Abdullah: From Rail to Ring Roads, J&K Projects Advancing Fast Toward a Developed India Prime Minister sahab, call it fate, call it destiny, in between, whenever there were any big railway programmes, I was lucky to get an opportunity to be associated with them, said the Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir Shri Omar Abdullah. For the first time when Anantnag Railway Station was inaugurated, when Banihal Railway Tunnel was opened, and the last programme of my first government was held at this very place in 2014. And it is a coincidence Prime Minister that the four people who had participated in that programme, all the four are sitting with you on this stage even today. You became the Prime Minister for the first time at that time in 2014 and you came here soon after and inaugurated the Katra railway station with the blessings of Mata. After that, you remained the Prime Minister of this country by winning the elections three times in a row. Along with you, your MoS PMO Dr Jitendra Prasad was also present in this programme. And our gentleman Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha was holding the post of MoS Railways at the time when Katra Railway Station was inaugurated here and myself as the minister. And Manoj Sinha sahab got promoted with the blessings of Mata. And I got a little demoted. I was the minister of the state, now I am the minister of the Union Territory. And I am assuming that it won’t take long for it to be fixed and it will be with your hands Prime Minister that you will give it the status of statehood. Many people have dreamt about this train. To the extent that Kashmir was merged with the rest of the country. Even the British had dreamt of connecting Kashmir with the rest of the country but they could not fulfill it. It was accomplished at your hands and the Valley of Kashmir was connected with the rest of the country. On this occasion, I would be making a huge mistake if I don’t thank Mr. Atal Bihari Vajpayee Because the foundation of this project was laid in 1983-1984. I laughingly told the media that I was an 8th grader when this project started. Today, my children have also completed college and now this project is complete. And this happened when Vajpayee sahab gave this project the status of. a national project and included it in the Budget, then today this project has been completed. Jammu and Kashmir will benefit immensely from this project. People will keep coming and going, tourism will benefit the residents here. Here when the highway gets closed due to rain then the airlines start looting us with inflated rates. A ticket worth Rs. 5000 becomes worth Rs. 30000. With the construction of this railway, at least the looting by the airlines will reduce and our travel will become easier. Similarly, apples and dry fruits from Kashmir will be transported to other parts of the country through trains. And we will be able to deliver to markets around the world. Apart from this rail project, many other similar projects are progressing rapidly. Whether it be Jammu’s Ring Road or Srinagar Ring Road, or Delhi-Srinagar-Katra Expressway, whether Jammu-Srinagar four laning highway work, or the expansion of Jammu Airport,and expansion of Srinagar Airport, or work being done for the expansion of Jammu Railway network or the Delhi Amritsar Katra expressway. We intend to complete all these projects quickly and are making every effort. The slogan of developed Jammu and Kashmir, developed India that you have given, we will complete it with full colours and hand it over to the people. On this occasion, on behalf of the people of Jammu and Kashmir, I congratulate and thank you from the bottom of my heart, Prime Minister, the Chief Minister Jammu & Kashmir Shri Omar Abdullah said expressing himself.