Junagadh, February 29
The Railway Budget presented by Railways Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav on Tuesday, has disappointed the Junagadh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (JCCI). The Chamber has threatened to launch a rail roko andolan from March 15 if its long pending demands of connecting Junagadh to Delhi and Mumbai are not met soon. The Chamber has written a letter to Lalu with a list of long-pending demands of the Junagadh district and urged him to fulfil them within a specific time frame. It has said that if no decision is taken or any assurance given soon, the JCCI will start its agitation. JCCI said approximately 70 lakh people visit Junagadh every year, and in spite of enough passenger traffic, Railway authorities have been sidelining the region’s interest every year in the budget. It said their demand of a direct train service to Delhi and Mumbai have been pending for over four years now. Also gauge conversion work of only a six km long stretch between Veraval and Somanath and between Jetalsar and Dhasa stations have been going on at a snail’s space. It said the railway track between Junagadh and Dhari was washed away during the last monsoon, and no efforts were made to restore the same. In spite of repeated demand of the peoples, the Railways has turned a blind eyes over this issue, it said in the letter.
