4 months ago
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The Centre’s determination to shelve the obstruction enlargement projects, affecting orchards and residential areas successful southbound Kashmir’s Anantnag and Shopian districts, was wide hailed by J&K’s governmental parties and orchardists connected Tuesday (February 3, 2026).
“The railway task was stopped aft involution of the J&K authorities to support orchards and the section economy,” National Conference (NC) person and legislator Tanvir Sadiq said.
Earlier successful the day, Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced that the Anantnag-Pahalgam and the Anantnag-Shopian enlargement was shelved for clip being due to the fact that of the concerns expressed by the leaders from J&K.
Opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) person Mehbooba Mufti welcomed the Centre’s move. “The determination to enactment the Pahalgam and Shopian railway lines connected clasp brings overmuch needed alleviation to Kashmir’s agrarian economy. These projects threatened to destruct scarce fertile onshore and propulsion implicit a cardinal agrarian families into uncertainty. Development that uproots farmers is not progress,” Ms. Mufti said.
The erstwhile J&K main curate said immoderate aboriginal program indispensable beryllium reviewed transparently, with farmers and section communities taken connected board, to support Kashmir’s system and societal fabric.
One estimation suggested that a 27 km rail enactment successful southbound Kashmir could person impacted 7 lakh trees, chiefly pome trees successful the region. “We person heaved a suspiration of relief. The task would person taken ample swathes of productive onshore astatine a clip erstwhile roadworthy widening and highways projects were already putting a batch of accent connected the land. The determination has saved the livelihood of hundreds of orchardists successful the area,” Nissar Ahmad, a husbandman from Anantnag’s Bijbehara, said.
Meanwhile, NC person and Member of Parliament (MP) Mian Altaf welcomed the announcement of the Jammu-Rajouri railway project. “The Jammu-Rajouri obstruction enactment task aims to heighten connectivity successful the region, promoting development, tourism, and employment. The task has been a long-standing request of the section people, and its announcement has been met with enthusiasm” Mr. Altaf said.
