Rail link to Takht Damdama Sahib still a distant dream

BATHINDA: The tenure of the NDA Government is coming to an end but the promised rail link to Takht Damdama Sahib Talwandi Sabo is far from being kept

Updated At : 12:57 PM Jan 30, 2019 IST

Rail connectivity is important for Takht Sri Damdama Sahib as it is the only Takht which has not been connected with a rail link yet. File photo

Sukhmeet Bhasin

Tribune News Service

Bathinda, January 29

The tenure of the NDA Government is coming to an end, but the promised rail link to Takht Damdama Sahib, Talwandi Sabo, is far from being kept. Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal had taken up the issue of rail connectivity to Talwandi Sabo, after which the UPA Government had announced a rail link between Rama Mandi and Talwandi Sabo in 2013.

Later, in 2015, a survey was conducted for the rail route from Maur to Rama via Talwandi Sabo, but after the residents of various villages on the route resented acquisition of their fertile land, the project was put on the backburner.

Rail connectivity is important for Takht Sri Damdama Sahib as it is the only Takht which had not been connected with a rail link yet. All other Takhts — Sri Harmandar Sahib, Amritsar, Sri Kesgarh Sahib, Anandpur Sahib, Sri Hazur Sahib, Nanded, Maharashtra, and Sri Patna Sahib, Patna, Bihar, — have rail connectivity. The rail link to Talwandi Sabo is also crucial due to the presence of a thermal plant in the area.

In 2015, the railways had conducted a survey for the project, but farmers protested the rail track, stating that they feared that if the track passed through their land, it would affect the soil fertility.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) state spokesperson Neel Garg said “Rail connectivity to Takht Damdama Sahib is a major project. Not only Sikhs but people from other religions also come here from various parts of the country. It is sad that till date this historic place is not connected with rail”.

After promising people, surprisingly, the leaders did not even raise the issue during the question hour in Lok Sabha, he rued.

The previous as well as the present government at the Centre has not shown any interest in pursuing the project. Garg demanded that work on the project should be started on priority.

Subhash Bansal, a resident of Talwandi Sabo, said the work on the project should start soon as the residents were facing a lot of problems due to the absence of rail connectivity.

It is pertinent to mention that before the rail Budget and elections, the issue was raised by all parties but at the grassroots level, no party took any initiative to get the work started.