Jammu, June 5: Unprecedented security has been put in place ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Jammu and Kashmir on Friday to flag off the Vande Bharat train to the Valley.

A multi-layered security drawn from the special protection group (SPG), army, CAPFs and J&K Police manned by hundreds of personnel will protect the historic visit of the PM.

There is extraordinary vigil around PM Modi’s Friday visit as this is his first visit after Operation Sindoor to J&K.

The ubiquitous presence of security forces is seen in Jammu city, Reasi district, with a focus on the rail track from Katra town right up to Baramulla town in Kashmir.

All vantage points along the mountainous track have been taken over by the army and other security forces, while the rail track is dotted with CAPFs equipped with electronic equipment, drones, sniffer dogs and night vision devices.

“No chances whatsoever are being taken to secure the Prime Minister’s visit tomorrow. You name it, and that aspect of the security has been taken care of. The PM’s historic visit to redefine history in J&K is completely secured and safe for the large number of people expected to witness the event,” said a senior officer deployed to supervise the security around the PM’s visit.

In addition to inaugurating the Vande Bharat train service, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone, inaugurate and dedicate to the nation multiple development projects worth over Rs 46,000 crore.

On Friday, PM Modi will flag off two Vande Bharat Express trains from Mata Vaishno Devi base camp, Katra, to Srinagar and back from Katra Railway Station.

Railway officials said the trains will offer a swift, comfortable, and reliable travel option for residents, tourists, and pilgrims, among others.

The PM will lay the foundation stone and inaugurate various road projects to ensure last-mile connectivity, especially in the border areas of Jammu and Kashmir.

The foundation stone laying ceremony and inauguration of projects will be done virtually from Katra.

The foundation stone laying includes projects like the road widening project from Rafiabad to Kupwara on National Highway and the construction of the Shopian bypass road worth over Rs 1,952 crore.

Two flyover projects at Sangrama Junction on National Highway-1 in Srinagar and at Bemina Junction on National Highway to ease traffic congestion and enhance traffic flow for the commuters are included in the foundation laying programme.

The Prime Minister will lay the foundation stone of the Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Institute of Medical Excellence in Katra, worth over Rs 350 crore. It will be the first Medical College in the Reasi district.

Included in the inauguration programme, the Prime Minister will inaugurate the Chenab bridge, visit the bridge deck at around 11 a.m. Friday and then inaugurate the Anji bridge, the first cable-stayed railway bridge in the country.

Around noon, the PM will flag off Vande Bharat Trains from Katra Railway Station.

Vande Bharat train will take just about three hours to travel between Katra and Srinagar, reducing existing travel time by 2-3 hours.

The PM will also dedicate the Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project to the nation. The 272-km-long USBRL project, constructed at a cost of around Rs 43,780 crore, includes 36 tunnels (spanning 119 km) and 943 bridges.

The project establishes all-weather, seamless rail connectivity between the Kashmir valley and the rest of the country, aiming to transform regional mobility and drive socio-economic integration.

An unfulfilled dream of over 70 years will unfold into reality on Friday as PM Modi re-writes yet another chapter in the country’s march to become the World’s third-largest economy, driven by performance, unrelenting commitment and single-minded pursuit of a visionary leader who knows to lead both in war and peace.

(IANS)

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