Amritsar, June 20 The proposed Patti-Makhu rail link to connect Amritsar and Ferozepur via rail remains a distant dream. Residents often ask whether political parties are playing politics over the proposed rail link. It is a long pending demand of residents of Amritsar and Ferozepur. A retired school principal, Kulwant Singh Ankhi, said, “Whatever the cost of land acquisition may be, it is the duty of the state government to acquire it as soon as possible to complete the project. After all, connectivity is the engine of growth.” The NITI Aayog had long ago approved and sanctioned the railway ministry’s proposal to lay track from Patti to Makhu. This project was sanctioned by the then Union Railway Minister in the UPA Government, Pawan Bansal. It will be immensely beneficial and economical for the states of Punjab, Rajasthan, Jammu and and Kashmir. It will shorten the travelling distance between the holy city and the country’s financial capital Mumbai by 240 km as it will serve as an alternative railway route between Amritsar and Mumbai. It will reduce the railway rush on Amritsar-Delhi-Mumbai route. The Ministry of Railways cleared about Rs 300 crore for the project during the 2017-18 fiscal. However, funds remain unutilised as the state government did not acquire land, said hotelier APS Chatha. He said good connectivity with any part of the country would draw more tourists. As per the norms, the provincial government has to pay to acquire the required land and hand over the same to the Railways, which will then lay the railway tracks.

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