Jammu and Kashmir: Mandatory safety inspection of 48-km long Banihal-Sangaldan railway section in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban district was completed successfully ahead of the inauguration of Baramulla-Sangaldan railway train service by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on February 20 (Tuesday).
Commissioner of Railways Safety (CRS), DC Deshwal did his two-day inspection of recently completed 48 km-long Banihal-Sangaldan section along the ambitious Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) on Friday. Sangaldan railway station in Ramban district falls between Banihal and Katra on the remaining 111 km stretch of the USBRL project, which, upon completion, will connect Kashmir valley with the rest of the country.
CRS along with his team conducted the final inspection of the railway track, tunnels and other systems between Khari-Sumbar and Sangaldan section. A speed trial of the electric train was successfully conducted between Sangaldan and Khari railway stations during the inspection. The commissioner returned to Srinagar in a rail car from Khari last evening.
In Srinagar, Deshwal is scheduled to hold a meeting with Northern railway authorities before submitting a final report. Out of the total 272-km USBRL project, 161 km stretch was commissioned in phases while first phase of 118-km Qazigund-Baramulla section was commissioned in October 2009, followed by 18 km Banihal-Qazigund section in June 2013, and 25 km Udhampur-Katra section in July 2014.
Work on the challenging Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla rail link had started in 1997 and this service is likely to become functional by March-April this year.
Security forces conduct search for possible cross-border tunnels in J&K
The Border Security Force (BSF) and the Jammu and Kashmir Police conducted a joint search on Saturday for any possible cross-border tunnel along the International Border in Samba district, amid heightened security in the Union territory ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit next week, officials said.
In the past decades, about a dozen cross-border tunnels which were used to push terrorists, weapons and narcotics from across the border were uncovered by the security forces along the International Border with Pakistan in Samba, Kathua and Jammu districts.
Police had recently announced a cash reward of Rs 5 lakh to anyone who helps in locating such tunnels used by anti-national elements. Modi is visiting Jammu on February 20 to inaugurate and lay the foundation of 209 projects worth Rs 3,161 crore. He will also address a public meeting at the Maulana Azad Stadium in the heart of Jammu.
As part of the heightened security arrangements in view of Modi's visit, the officials said, the BSF and the police conducted a joint two-hour-long anti-tunnelling operation in the Ramgarh sector of Samba district. The operation started around 9:45 am and search teams did not find anything suspicious on the ground, they said.
The officials said BSF troops guarding the IB and police personnel manning the border posts have been put on maximum alert, especially after the recent ceasefire violation by Pakistan Rangers, and have been asked to maintain a tight vigil on any suspicious movement from across the border.
Besides the border areas along the IB, security arrangements have been beefed up along the Line of Control (LoC) and the hinterland to thwart any attempt by terrorists to carry out an attack, the officials said, adding security forces have intensified patrolling, area domination and checking in sensitive areas to maintain peace. On Wednesday evening, Pakistan Rangers violated the ceasefire by firing on a BSF post at Makwal along the IB in RS Pura sector, prompting retaliation by the Indian border guards.
The cross-border firing continued for 25 minutes and later the BSF lodged a strong protest with their counterparts for the unprovoked firing. Army troops guarding the LoC also fired at Pakistani drones on three occasions in different sectors of Poonch district in the past six days.
(With agencies inputs)
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