Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday said while the issue of passenger security on trains to the Valley was understandable, making the commuters change trains at Katra will defeat the very purpose of the rail link project.
“Just to remove any chance of any misunderstanding, while we understand the need to secure the train and the passengers who will travel using it, making passengers change trains will defeat the very purpose of the line and render the thousands of crores of investment pointless,” Abdullah said in a post on X.
Stating that the passengers can be checked at Katra or Jammu instead of making them swap trains, Abdullah said, “Check the train/passengers in Katra or Jammu, sure, but NO change of train will be supported by us. That said, there is no concrete proposal, and when there is we will give our inputs/suggestions.”
The chief minister’s remarks came in the wake of some media reports claiming that passengers travelling on the Kashmir-Jammu rail link will have to change trains at Katra on both sides of their journey.
Omar Abdullah, who was skiing in Gulmarg, also said the opening of the Z-Morh tunnel will enable the development of Sonamarg resort in Ganderbal district as a winter sports destination, similar to the famous Gulmarg skiing resort.
“Tomorrow, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Z-Morh tunnel. This will allow the development of Sonamarg as a winter sports destination,” Abdullah told reporters in Gulmarg, 52 kilometers from here.
The Prime Minister is scheduled to inaugurate the 6.5-kilometer Z-Morh tunnel, which will make the Sonamarg town accessible throughout the year.
“Over the next five years, we will make full efforts to develop Sonamarg as a winter sports destination, just like we have developed Gulmarg,” he added.
Abdullah said he had come to Gulmarg to record a program for tourism promotion.
“If more tourists come here, it will mean more earnings for the local people, whether they are ski guides, ski instructors, sledge operators, ATV and snowmobile operators, or small businesses like restaurants and dhabas,” he said.
The chief minister also said that the Khelo India Winter Games would be held in Gulmarg in February this year, and the union territory is preparing to host the event.
“We still have some time before the Khelo India Winter Games. I hope there will be more snow before that,” he said.
When asked if Gulmarg was ready to host an international winter sports event, Abdullah responded, “We cannot even think of it at the moment. Our slopes are not of that level right now. We will have to improve our slopes before we can host international events.”
Omar Abdullah also said that the setting up of a convention center in Gulmarg would attract international conferences and meetings. “We lacked a convention center here, but now we’ll have one. This will not only bring national leaders but also position Gulmarg as a prime international destination for events. It’s going to be a significant asset for the region,” he stated. (With inputs from PTI)
