Title - Kashmir territory expectation from Rail Budget

Subsequent to the day of partition in 1947, Jammu & Kashmir was unfortunately disconnected from the Indian Railways and there were proposals and efforts made to keep Jammu connected by new railway lines.

Indian government has always faced Jammu & Kashmir rail tracks and laying its infrastructure as a challenge. The last Rail fare hike witnessed by the train passengers of the J&K was from 2 paise to 30 paise per kilometer in the Railway Budget, this hike was based on a genuine belief that the hike will be fairly accepted till the time the passengers are provided with dependable, safe, smooth and reliable journey with efficient facilities.   Rail communication for Jammu & Kashmir was meant to provide alternate and all weather commuting facility for the people and trans-shipment of goods, including fruit and vegetables from the state.

The upcoming budget must make sure that it makes provisions for construction of roads for making the construction sites assessable to the workers for setting up routes and railway tracks.

While, India was successfully able to launch its longest railway tunnel through the Pir Panjal mountain range, connecting Kashmir Valley to Banihal town on Srinagar-Jammu National highway, it still dreams to build one of the toughest engineering challenges in hand as the Indian Railways plans to complete the Chenab bridge in Jammu and Kashmir by 2016, making it the world's highest rail bridge.

It cannot be ignored that certain ambitious rail plan like Kashmir Rail Link project for Kashmir are experiencing the biggest cost overrun and delay.

Jammu Kashmir - the territory and its trails, tracking the expected Rail Budget 2013/ 2014:

It is important that the government sticks to its commitment towards Jammu & Kashmir, and while trying to plan setting up of railway tracks at the borders, if need arise. One important aspect to be kept in mind while preparing a budget for this year must focus on the State’s ability to shift men and machines to border areas through hilly terrain and remoteness.

Building a good railway infrastructure also require the government to keep this in mind that there is a need for building up infrastructure like roads, power and encourage tourism. A particular amount in the budget must be allocated to procure coal blocks from the central government to set up a pithead thermal power plant to meet all the required energy needs of Jammu and Kashmir.

If planned efficiently, the railway budget always brings in versatile opportunities if implemented successfully, the UPA government through a good budget and implementation policies can create direct and indirect employment for its citizens as well, probably this might help impress the young voters by way of an efficient recruitment process.

It also needs to be kept in mind that Jammu & Kashmir has a very well established tourism industry; India must make provisions in its upcoming budget for security, coal and fuel, facilities like better infrastructure and hopefully modernization of the whole set up.   Especially when the twelfth five year plan focuses on accelerated and constant development, growth-employment association, consolidation of road and rail network, security of people.

Jammu and Kashmir has also faced problems of connectivity due to no direct trains for patients or citizens who want to go to better hospitals in neighboring areas, this is why the focus is stressed upon better connecting routes to attain better hospitalization and medical facilities and organizational capacities for Jammu and Kashmir.

Considering that this beautiful state has also been a victim to cross border terrorism we cannot be sure whether the budget can propose a policy draft to attract private players by creating an atmosphere conducive to investment for setting up railway tracks or take up other service providing facilities.