The Congress said on Friday that Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Line (USBRL) is a powerful example of continuity in the rule, claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has “constantly denied” in his “perennial desire of self-glory”.
This statement of the opposition party came just before Prime Minister Modi inaugurated the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL). The project spread up to 272 km through the rugged Himalayas has been built at a cost of Rs 43,780 crore.
Congress General Secretary in-charge Jairam Ramesh said that the governance involves great continuity, “Prime Minister Narendra Modi has constantly rejected this fact in his eternal desire of self-pride”.
He said in a statement, it is especially true when it comes to the implementation of exceptionally challenging developmental projects. Ramesh said that USBRL was initially approved in March 1995 when PV Narasimha Rao was the Prime Minister.
He said, “In March 2002, when Atal Bihari Vajpayee was the Prime Minister, it was declared a national project. After this, on 13 April 2005, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh inaugurated the 53 km long rail link between Jammu and Udhampur.”
Ramesh further stated that on October 11, 2008, Prime Minister Singh inaugurated the 66 km long rail link between Anantnag and Majhom outside Srinagar.
He said, on 14 February 2009, Prime Minister Singh inaugurated a 31 -km long rail link between Majhom and Baramulla outside Srinagar.
He said, “On October 29, 2009, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh inaugurated the 18 km long rail link between Anantnag and Qazigund. On 26 June 2013, Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh inaugurated the 11 km long rail link between Qazigund to Banihal.”
Ramesh said, this means that by June 26, 2013, a 135 km rail link between Baramulla and Qazigund was operational.
He said that due to the election code of conduct for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections, the inauguration of 25 km railway link between Udhampur and Katra had to be postponed. Ramesh said, it was inaugurated by the new Prime Minister on 4 July 2014, 39 days after taking charge.
He further stated that since 2014, the 111 km long Katra-Banihal section, for which the major contracts were given long ago, has been completed.
For example, the contract for the iconic Chenab Bridge was given to Konkan Railway Corporation, Facons, VSK India and South Korea’s Ultra Construction and Engineering Limited in 2005, Ramesh said.
The AICC General Secretary said, “The Indian National Congress congratulates the people of Jammu and Kashmir on this important occasion. It also congratulates the Indian Railways and public sector and private companies involved in the execution of USBRL in the last three decades.”
Ramesh said, it shows collective resolution and success in front of the most serious obstacles.
Posting his statement on X, the Congress leader said, “As PM is visiting Jammu and Kashmir today, here is our statement on Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla railway line (USBRL), which is a powerful example of continuity in governance, like BrahMos, which he never accepts but cannot run away.”
Tagging Ramesh’s post, Congress Rajya Sabha MP Vivek Tankha said, “A politician always accepts the past while planning a future. History can never be erased.” Tankha said, even those who want to write history again will realize that history is inscribed in the walls of future generations.
