Days after Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw announced halting of three proposed railway projects in Kashmir, former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir and president of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mehbooba Mufti, urged their realignment along barren land to develop a dedicated fruit corridor.
In a letter to the Railway Minister, Mehbooba welcomed the decision to keep the three proposed railway projects in the Kashmir Valley in abeyance, describing it as a much-needed relief for lakhs of agrarian families whose livelihoods were under threat.
Mehbooba said agriculture and horticulture form the backbone of Kashmir’s economy, directly or indirectly sustaining nearly two-thirds of the population. She pointed out that cultivable land in the Valley constitutes only a small fraction of its total geographical area and has already been significantly reduced due to highways, bypasses, and ring road projects.
“While the temporary suspension of these railway projects has offered momentary respite, the uncertainty surrounding their future continues to distress farming families and puts their long-term investments at risk,” she said.
Mehbooba emphasized that Kashmir, like the rest of India, lives in its villages, where most farmers are marginal landholders with no alternative source of income. She noted that widespread unemployment among educated youth has further increased dependence on agriculture, making the protection of fertile land a matter of larger public interest.
She urged the Railway Ministry to scrap the projects in their present alignment and replan them in a manner that safeguards precious fertile land.
“Such a move would not only remove prevailing anxiety but also protect the livelihoods of nearly one and a half million families,” she said.
Clarifying that farmers are not opposed to railway connectivity, Mehbooba strongly advocated for a dedicated fruit corridor through a reliable rail network, especially in view of frequent disruptions on the national highway. However, she stressed that development must be balanced with sustainability and should prioritize the use of barren and unproductive land instead of destroying scarce agricultural farmland.
The PDP chief also urged the union Government to extend railway connectivity to the Chenab Valley and Pir Panjal regions of Jammu regjon. She said these resource-rich and strategically important regions have long suffered due to unreliable surface connectivity, severely limiting their economic and developmental potential.
“Even after more than seven decades of independence, the absence of dependable rail links continues to constrain the progress of Chenab Valley and Pir Panjal. No challenge should be considered too great when it comes to integrating such neglected regions with the national railway network,” she said.
She expressed hope that her concerns and requests would receive sympathetic consideration and prompt action in the larger public interest.
