Champawat: Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami flagged off the Tanakpur-Dehradun Weekly Express Train from Tanakpur Railway Station on Saturday.
The Chief Minister thanked Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav for running the first express train from Tanakpur to Dehradun and also called it the fulfilment of a dream as this is the first express train to Dehradun from Tanakpur Railway Station built before independence.
The Chief Minister said that in the operation of Tanakpur Express, many important cities have been directly connected from Tanakpur to Dehradun, which will provide convenience to the people.
Through this express, people connected to Banbasa, Khatima, Pilibhit, Bhojipura, Bareilly City, Bareilly Junction, Chandosi, Moradabad, Najibabad, Laksar, Haridwar railway stations will get an easy option to travel and their time will also be saved.
Along with this, this train service will also become a better option of transport for the devotees coming from these cities to visit Maa Purnagiri.
The Chief Minister travelled by train from Tanakpur to Khatima and met the passengers on the train, took their feedback and wished everyone well.
He said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Indian Railways is moving towards a golden age.
In the last 10 years, Indian Railways has been prepared to meet the aspirations of New India and the expectations of a self-reliant India.
Since 2014, Indian Railways has been in front of us in a new form.
Today, on the one hand, Indian Railways has been made safer than ever by eliminating unmanned railway crossings from broad gauge rail lines.
On the other hand, today the speed of Indian Railways has also increased more than ever. As a symbol of self-reliance and modernity, Made in India trains like Vande Bharat are becoming a part of the rail network.
The Chief Minister said that today under the leadership of the Prime Minister, the dream of bringing trains to the mountains in Uttarakhand is going to come true.
Running a train from Rishikesh to Karnaprayag through the inaccessible mountains is like a dream come true. Work is going on at a fast pace on the Rishikesh-Karnprayag rail line.
Survey work has also been completed on the Tanakpur-Bageshwar rail line and work will start on it soon.
In this series, six stations of Uttarakhand are being redeveloped under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme by the Prime Minister. The operation of the Vande Bharat train between Dehradun and Anand Vihar this year is a big achievement for us.
Now soon we are going to get the gift of operation of Vande Bharat train between Dehradun and Ayodhya and Varanasi. Today our double-engine government is working to bring all the schemes on the ground to connect the person standing at the last end with the mainstream of development.
The Chief Minister said that his government is committed to the development of Champawat district.
"We have approved an amount of Rs 45 crore for the construction of Purnagiri Temple Ropeway with the aim of increasing religious tourism activities in Maa Purnagiri Dham. Along with this, a plan is being prepared to develop the infrastructure facilities from Kakaraligate to Purnagiri Dham and to make a master plan along the lines of Kedarnath for the convenience of the devotees. Under the Sharda Corridor, a ghat will be constructed on the lines of Haridwar and Rishikesh where morning and evening aarti will be grandly performed every day," he said.
He said that the construction work of the motor bridge is being done at Hanumangarhi-Gandakhali-Khetkheda at a cost of 13 crore 77 lakhs so that the devotees coming to visit Maa Purnagiri during the rainy season will not have to face problems. To promote trade activities and development of economic activities in the India and Nepal border, a 3.82 km Indo Nepal Dry Port is being constructed with an amount of 177 crores.
A DPR of 130 crores has been formed for the work of drainage in the Tanakpur and Banbasa area. Construction of a bus terminal has been started in Tanakpur at a cost of Rs 56 crore. The major temples of Kumaon are being developed as the Manas Khand Corridor, which includes almost all the major temples of Champawat district.
The Chief Minister said that all these schemes should be completed with the concept of an ideal and developed Champawat. We will also be successful in realizing the mantra of our "Vikalp Rahit Sankalp" to make Uttarakhand the best and leading state. He also expected cooperation and support from everyone for building a better Uttarakhand. On this occasion, Divisional Railway Manager Rekha Yadav said that the people of Champawat and Pithoragarh districts of the border will get the benefit of this rail service and will get cheap, accessible and comfortable rail service. —ANI
