Article 370 — One Year Later, Huge Infra Push In J&K

The abrogation of Article-370 and Article-35A of the Constitution of India has seen an outpour of developmental initiatives in the two newly formed union territories, reports Amartya Sinha

- Amartya Sinha

On August 5, 2019, the NDA- 3 government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi abrogated Article-370 though a constitutional order and reorganised the state into the two separate union territories of Jammu & Kashmir, and Ladakh. It has now been followed up with notification of new domicile rules. Meanwhile, the union government is also implementing a slew of measures through various developmental initiatives and an upcoming global business summit for ensuring Kashmir’s economic progress in the long run. Following is a sneak peek into the various developmental projects and constructive initiatives which are set to transform Kashmir and Ladakh in the new decade.

Boosting railway infrastructure

The Kashmir Railway Project (KRP) is being developed to provide a reliable all-weather transport system to the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. The line is officially known as the Jammu- Udhampur-Katra-Quazigund-Baramulla link (JUSBRL). KRP is the only railway line in mountainous ranges in India that is being constructed in broad gauge. The estimated cost of the project is $13 billion. The 345km extension of the Indian Railway network will allow a 900 km direct journey from New Delhi to Srinagar.

The KRP line also connects Jammu with Srinagar. There will be 30 stations along the route and the network and will be served by up to 12 trains a day. The entire project is divided into four sections. While the first section referred to as Leg-0, stretches 53 km in the sub-mountainous region (Jammu to Udhampur) and has been operational since April 2005, the second section (Leg-1) connects Udhampur to Katra (25 km) and has been in operation since July 4, 2014.