At the Katra railway station event, Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacted with Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah after flagging off the first Vande Bharat Express connecting Katra to Srinagar.
CM Omar Abdullah speaks, “Many people dreamt of this train service… What the British could not do, you got it completed, and Kashmir valley has now been connected with the rest of the country. On this occasion, it would be a mistake if I did not mention and thank former PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.. I studied in 8th when the foundation for this project was laid. Now I am 55, and it has finally been inaugurated. This could happen only when Atal Bihari Vajpayee gave it the status of ‘project of national importance’ and increased its budget. It will greatly benefit the people of J&K in every way.
“Just like this one, many infrastructure projects are being completed fast, be it Jammu Ring Road, Srinagar Ring Road, Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway, Jammu-Srinagar four lane highway, expansion of Jammu and Srinagar Airports, and railway network expansion. We are trying our best to achieve our goal of Viksit Jammu and Kashmir for a Viksit Bharat. I thank you, Prime Minister, from the bottom of my heart on behalf of all the people of J&K.”