Will take up demand for train linking five Takhts: Kharge

Dhuri, Sangrur, Punjab: Union Minister of Railways Mallikarjun Kharge today said he would consider the demand for a special train linking the five Takhts and discuss it with the chairman and members of the railway board.

The demand was put up by Member of Parliament (MP) from Sangrur Vijay Inder Singla.

The minister said since the five Takhts — Sri Akal Takht Sahib (Amritsar), Sri Kesgarh Sahib (Anandpur Sahib), Sri Damdama Sahib (Talwandi Sabo), Sri Patna Sahib (Patna) and Sri Hazur Sahib (Nanded) — were located in different zones of the railways, he would have to discuss the matter with various officials.

Earlier, The Sangrur MP urged the Union Railways Minister to consider plying the train at least once a month. He also asked the minister to initiate an online ticket booking system in Punjabi language. Singla urged the minister to deploy guards at over 800 unmanned railway level crossings in the state to check accidents.

Kharge was here to lay the foundation stone of three railway projects. These are electrification of the 123-km-long Jakhal-Ludhiana rail section at a cost of Rs 123 crore, colour light signalling and tokenless working on the Jakhal-Ludhiana rail section at a cost of Rs 50 crore and light iron over-bridge at the railway level crossing here at a cost of Rs 3 crore.

The minister said Railways had sanctioned thousands of railway over bridges (ROBs) and railway under bridges (RUBs) in the country to reduce the number of accidents at unmanned railway-level crossings. He said an amount of Rs 46,000 crore was required to build these ROBs and RUBs and as there was a paucity of funds, these would be constructed in a phased manner.

Demands raised

• Sangrur MP Vijay Inder Singla asks minister to connect the five Takhts — Sri Akal Takht Sahib (Amritsar), Sri Kesgarh Sahib (Anandpur Sahib), Sri Damdama Sahib (Talwandi Sabo), Sri Patna Sahib (Patna) and Sri Hazur Sahib (Nanded)
• He also sought an online ticket booking system in Punjabi

Source: The Tribune