Farmers Movement Archive

Khattar invites PM to lay foundation stone of Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor

Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar has invited Prime Minister Narendra Modi to lay the foundation stone of the Haryana Orbital Rail Corridor (HORC), which will be constructed at ₹5,600 crores and is expected to be completed over five years.According to an official statement, Khattar after meeting Prime Minister Modi in New Delhi on Thursday told reporters the foundation stone laying programme would be organised at Manesar or Palwal or any other place on the Orbital Rail Corridor route in Haryana. He added that all approvals for the railway project have been completed.According to the state government’s website, the HORC, which connects Palwal to Sonipat via Sohna, Manesar and Kharkhouda, is a broad gauge double railway line for passenger and freight traffic.The HORC will provide seamless connectivity to Dedicated Freight Corridors (DFC) at the Prithla station and Indian Railways at Palwal, Patli and Sultanpur stations among others. It is also said that the project will be of great benefit to Sohna, Manesar and Kharkhouda, which are Haryana’s industrial hubs.In September last year, the Centre had approved the construction of the HORC. Considered as an important project by the Indian Railways, the HORC will see rail lines bypassing Delhi. It will have connectivity with all the existing railway routes originating from the national capital and passing through Haryana.Meanwhile, during Thursday’s meeting, Haryana CM Khattar informed PM Modi about the status of the protests going on against the Centre’s three farm laws in Haryana and the steps being taken by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) -led state government to reopen highways blocked because of the stir.Modi was also apprised about the Karnal incident last month, where police had lathi-charged a group of farmers heading towards the city to protest against a meeting of the BJP attended by Khattar and other party leaders. Last Saturday, the protesting farmers called off their stir in Karnal after the state government ordered a judicial probe into the incident.

Hindustan Times

17-09-2021

Chandigarh