Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Jammu and Kashmir for the first time since the Pahalgam terror attack on Friday. Modi will inaugurate key railway projects and flag off the first Vande Bharat train to Kashmir in a grand event on Friday.
The prime minister will also inaugurate key railway infrastructure projects - the Chenab Bridge and Anji Bridge, on Friday. Calling it a special day, Modi said the infrastructure projects will have "very positive impact on people's lives". The prime minister will be inaugurating development works worth Rs 46,000 crore in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday.
"In addition to being an extraordinary feat of architecture, the Chenab Rail Bridge will improve connectivity between Jammu and Srinagar. The Anji Bridge stands tall as India’s first cable-stayed rail bridge in a terrain that is challenging. The Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project ensures all-weather connectivity and the Vande Bharat trains from Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra to Srinagar will boost spiritual tourism and create livelihood opportunities," the prime minister said in a post on X on Thursday.
Though scheduled in April, the inauguration of the key projects got delayed due to inclement weather and the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22. As many as 26 persons including a local horse owner, a Nepali citizen and 24 tourists lost their lives in the worst terror attack since the abrogation of Article 370 in the Valley. The terror attack was carried out by terrorists allegedly with Pakistani links. To avenge the killings, India launched Operation Sindoor on May 7 and struck terror launchpads at nine locations along the LoC. After days of heightened military operation, India and Pakistan agreed to stop firing on May 10.
