Ex-MP Tamta demands three railway lines

Our Correspondent

Pithoragarh, February 24

Former Almora MP Pradeep Tamta has said that the Centre should prove its commitment to the state of Uttarakhand by announcing the three much-awaited railway lines of Tanakpur to Bageshwar, Ramnagar to Chaukhutia and Tanakpur to Jauljibi in the rail budget this year.

“Despite been declared as a national project by the former UPA government, the Tanakpur-Bageshwar rail line could not get as much attention from the Modi Government as it bestowed the railway lines on north-eastern states,” said Tamta here yesterday.

Before the railway budget, several places in Kumaon region today witnessed demonstrations demanding railway lines that are much in demand and are needed by residents of hill districts of the region. Tanakpur to Bageshwar Rail Sangharsh Samiti volunteers today demonstrated at Tanakpur and Bageshwar towns simultaneously, demanding inclusion of construction of these railways lines in this year’s railway budget which is to be presented on February 26.

“Despite the survey, the Tanakpur to Bageshwar railway line has not yet been given the green signal for construction. We demand that this year’s railway budget should bring good news in this direction,” said Hayat Singh Mehta, official of the samiti in Bageshwar.

President of the Tanakpur to Bageshwar Rail Sangharsh Samiti at Tanakpur, Ganga Giri Goswami, today sent a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi appealing to him to get the region’s much expected railway line get going between Tanakpur and Bageshwar as it is one of the oldest promised railway lines from the times of the British Raj.

“We have requested the Prime Minister that rail projects in Uttarakhand be given priority as it is a region that shares borders with China and Nepal, and is strategically significant,” Goswami said.