Title - Gehlot demands rail link for Tonk, Karauli, Pratapgarh

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot has urged the Centre for expanding railway network to three district headquarters of Tonk, Karauli and Pratapgarh. Mr Gehlot raised the issue at the high-level meeting held here today with Minister of State for Railways K H Muniyappa for reviewing the progress of ongoing railways projects and future needs of the desert state. Members of Parliament from the state, high officials of the Railway Ministry and the state government also attended the meeting. Mr Gehlot also urged the Minister that the the Ministry should ensure that hurdles in the way of early completion of the Dungarpur-Banswara-Ratlam rail line be cleared and the work was accomplished in a time bound manner. UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi had laid foundation stone for this new railway line last year. Mr Gehlot also urged the Union Minister for expediting the work on 29 railway over bridges(ROBs) sanctioned to the state and observed that present pace of construction of ROBs was a bit slow and the task was unlikely to be accomplished in time at present pace. He said work on only four ROBs had so far been started this year. MPs also raised several issues related to their respective constituencies. Minister Mr Muniyappa said that the Ministry was getting due support and cooperation from the state government and assured that various projects would be completed within the time frame. He also issued directives to the authorities to expedite the work.