Security arrangements have been beefed up in Jammu and Kashmir ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit on Friday.
Senior officers from the police, army, paramilitary forces, and intelligence agencies are monitoring the situation.
Extra security personnel are stationed at important locations, and drones and modern tools are being used for surveillance. Furthermore, security along the borders and within the region has been tightened to prevent any infiltration and movement of unwanted elements.
During his visit, PM Modi will inaugurate two significant railway bridges, the Chenab Bridge and India’s first cable-stayed Anji Bridge. These projects are part of the Rs 46,000 crore Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Railway Line (USBRL), which is a 272 km project aimed at connecting Kashmir to the rest of India by train.
The Prime Minister will also launch two new Vande Bharat Express trains between Katra and Srinagar to make travel faster and more comfortable for locals, tourists, and pilgrims.
Modi will lay the foundation stones and open various development projects in Katra, the main starting point for pilgrims heading to the Vaishno Devi temple in the Reasi district. The USBRL project has cost around Rs 46,000 crore and involves building 36 tunnels and 943 bridges, giving Kashmir all-weather rail access and aiming to boost travel and the local economy.
He will kick-start important road projects, including the expansion of the Rafiabad–Kupwara road (NH-701) and a new bypass road in Shopian (NH-444), with a total investment of over Rs 1,952 crore. Two flyovers will also be opened in Srinagar — one at Sangrama and another at Bemina — to help ease traffic congestion.
One notable project is the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence in Katra, which will cost over Rs 350 crore. This will be the first medical college in the Reasi district, aiming to enhance healthcare in the area.
Out of the total 272 km USBRL project, 209 km has been completed in phases since 2009, and the final 17 km stretch between Reasi and Katra was completed in December 2024. This visit marks Modi's first trip to the Union Territory since Operation Sindoor, which was conducted by the army following the terror attack in Pahalgam on April 22 that tragically claimed 26 lives, mostly those of tourists.
