PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
Chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami directed officials to plan for enabling the use of escape tunnels to be constructed for tunnels of proposed rail projects as parallel roads. He said that a plan should also be prepared to ascertain how the escape tunnels built as part of the Rishikesh-Karnprayag rail project can be used in the future. Further, work should also be undertaken on expansion of the rail line from Karnprayag to Bageshwar. The Central government should be requested to designate the Tanakpur-Bageshwar rail line project as a national project to expedite its construction. He said this during a review meeting on Wednesday, where he discussed ongoing and proposed railway projects in the State.
According to officials at the meeting it was informed that 72.5 per cent of the work on the Rishikesh-Karnprayag rail project has been completed, with 95.30 per cent of tunnel construction finished. A total of 28 tunnels have been constructed for this project, including 16 main tunnels and 12 escape tunnels. Various proposed railway stations are being developed based on different themes, which include Shivpuri Station based on Neelkanth Mahadev, Byasi on Maharishi Ved Vyas Station, Devprayag on Samudra Manthan, Janasu on Uttarakhand Culture and many others.
Dhami instructed that arrangements should be made to develop the escape tunnels built alongside the proposed rail projects as parallel roads. A work plan should be formulated to explore how the escape tunnel built for the Rishikesh-Karnprayag rail line could be utilised in the future and the possibility of extending the rail line from Karnprayag to Bageshwar should also be examined.
He emphasised the need for special arrangements to support self-help groups and the sale of local products at all under-construction railway stations. Dhami directed officials to encourage self-employment among people in the areas surrounding the proposed railway stations and to focus on raising public awareness about homestay options and other welfare schemes.
Further, he called for a roadmap to be developed for the improvement of various villages, towns, religious sites and other tourist destinations located near the under-construction railway stations. He said that areas surrounding these stations should be developed to accommodate the expected influx of visitors to Uttarakhand after the completion of the railway projects.
Regarding the Tanakpur-Bageshwar rail line project, it was stated that the Railway has proposed three survey options for the project. Work is also ongoing on alternative routes and plans to connect the Almora and Someshwar areas to this rail line.
The CM directed officials to accelerate the work on the Tanakpur-Bageshwar rail line project, considering various alternative routes. He stressed the importance of exploring the possibility of connecting the Almora and Someshwar regions so that the majority of the area’s population can benefit from this development.
