Ferozepur: Nine years after the ambitious 25.47km Ferozepur-Patti rail link project was given a green signal in the rail budget, the Punjab government has failed to acquire land required for the project.
The rail link, vital from the commercial point of view, will shorten the distance between the northern states, including Punjab and capitals of Gujarat and Maharashtra. The rail link will also shorten the distance between Ferozepur and Amritsar from 118km to 86km. It would also inter-connect the Malwa and Majha regions of Punjab and shorten the distance between Jammu and Mumbai by 267km.
People...
more... familiar to the matter said the state government has failed to provide land (70.1 hectares in Tarn Taran and 95.68 hectares in Ferozepur) for the project. Ferozepur deputy commissioner Girish Dayalan said notification to acquire the land has been published and the process will be completed soon.
“The then Union railway minister, Pawan Kumar Bansal, gave nod to the Ferozepur-Patti rail link in 2013, but nothing has been done so far due to indifferent attitude of the Punjab government,” said an official.
The rail link will also interconnect Srinagar, Anantnag, Udhampur, Jammu, Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Batala, Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Patti, Ferozepur, Guru Har Sahai, Jalalabad, Fazilka and Abohar to Mumbai via Sri Ganganagar (Rajasthan), which would be a boon for the people living in the border belt of Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab and Rajasthan.
“Time will be saved after the project is completed. Perishable fruits and vegetables will be delivered in Gujarat and Mumbai within 48 to 72 hours. It will also facilitate export of basmati rice and other items from this region via Kandla port in Gujarat,” said Sushil Mittal, a businessman.
“The rail link is also vital from the defence point of view as it would connect two strategically located border districts of Ferozepur and Amritsar, besides connecting them to Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Gujarat,’’ Subhash Sharma, state BJP general secretary said, demanding early acquisition of land for the project.