Railway connectivity to boost Tourism, Wipeout Terrorism: BJP
Jammu, 05 June 2025: In a significant move towards transforming Jammu and Kashmir’s connectivity and development landscape, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is set to visit the Union Territory on 6th June to inaugurate key infrastructure projects, connecting Kashmir to the rest of the country through railways.
Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters in Trikuta Nagar, Jammu, BJP spokesperson and former MLC Girdhari Lal Raina, along with party spokesperson Dr. Abhjeet Jasrotia and Media Incharge Dr. Pardeep Mahotra, outlined the significance of the Prime Minister’s visit.
GL Raina said that PM Modi will inaugurate the iconic Chenab Bridge, the world’s highest railway arch bridge, followed by a visit to the Anji Bridge. Then, he will flag off the Vande Bharat trains. The Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone and inaugurate multiple developmental projects worth over ₹46,000 crore. Among these is the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence—Reasi’s first medical college—being developed at a cost of over ₹350 crore.
GL Raina asserted that the BJP government is committed to improve the life standard of citizens of Bharat by providing much needed push to developmental projects including connectivity through railways and road network.
Central government is making visible efforts to boost tourism in Jammu Kashmir which has suffered a serious setback due to continued terrorist activities sponsored from across the border and harboured by a network of overground workers of a radicalized section of population locally, he added.
People of Kashmir have to understand that terrorism and tourism can’t go together. Those who try to demonize tourists as cultural invaders and those who plead for quality tourists instead of numbers are equally responsible for damaging the backbone of JK economy. People will have to come out in the open to denounce, condemn such opportunists.
Tourism, Raina said, significantly contributes to the economy (approximately 7-8% of its Gross State Domestic Product). This contribution extends beyond direct income from tourism, encompassing revenue from related industries like hotels, transportation, and local businesses.
Dr. Abhjeet Jasrotia compared the BJP’s transformative 11 years with the non-performing decades of rule by Congress led governments. He said that with the major reformative steps, India forcefully crushed the evil designs of rogue nation Pakistan in very little time. Today, India has made it clear that we will hunt down the terrorist even in the remotest hide-outs. We have made a major leap from terrorism to tourism., which will get further boost by the improved road network, which is visibly evident with year round connectivity to Ladakh. The bridges, tunnels and the road widenings have revolutionized the connectivity to remote areas.
He stressed that the train will greatly enhance the connectivity, increasing the speed of travel, and lowering the cost of travel, which will boost tourism, trade, and business. He also insisted that the security grid will also be further strengthened with the train connectivity.
Dr. Pardeep Mahotra hailed the Chenab and Anji Khad bridges as engineering marvels under the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Link (USBRL) project. “These bridges will revolutionize travel to Kashmir, spur economic activity, and create jobs. Most importantly, they strengthen national security by enabling seamless and strategic movement of goods and personnel,” he said.
