Jalna: Union Minister of State for AYUSH, Health and Family Welfare Prataprao Jadhav on Sunday said efforts would be made at the Centre to establish a railway zonal office in Jalna.
He was speaking at the Marathwada Railway Parishad organised by the Jalna Railway Sangharsh Samiti at RHV School in Jalna to discuss railway-related issues concerning the Marathwada region. Former Union Minister of State for Railways Raosaheb Danve was present.
Jadhav said establishing a railway divisional office in Jalna, which is geographically located in central India, would improve rail connectivity in all directions and generate substantial employment opportunities.
He said Jalna would emerge as an important railway junction with the proposed Jalna-Khamgaon and Jalna-Jalgaon railway lines. Work on these projects is underway, he said.
Former Union minister Danve said he had worked towards the doubling and electrification of the Ankai-Mudkhed railway section and the introduction of new trains during his tenure.
After assuming charge of the Railways, a survey was conducted for doubling the Ankai-Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar section, and ₹3,000 crore was sanctioned for the project, he said.
Danve said ₹8,500 crore had been sanctioned for the electrification required for Vande Bharat services. Work on introducing new trains, a pit line and redevelopment of the Jalna and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar railway stations was also underway, he said.
A survey has also been conducted for a high-speed railway corridor parallel to the Mumbai-Nagpur Samruddhi Mahamarg, but its final detailed project report is yet to receive approval, Danve said.
He urged the Railway Sangharsh Samiti to put pressure on elected representatives and ensure that pending railway demands are effectively raised in Parliament.
The Marathwada Railway Parishad unanimously passed a resolution demanding a separate railway division for central Maharashtra, comprising parts of Marathwada, Vidarbha and Khandesh.
Speakers pointed out that two railway divisions have been created for 28 districts in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, while the Jalna-Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar-Ankai railway section falls under the Nanded division of the South Central Railway. Despite repeated demands, the section has not been brought under the Central Railway, they said.
The council demanded the establishment of a separate railway division for central Maharashtra to improve connectivity and facilitate the region’s overall development.
Former municipal president Bhaskarrao Ambekar, Rajabhau Deshmukh, corporator Akshay Gorantyal, Vyapari Mahasangh district president Vineet Sahani, Congress district president Kalyan Dale, Nandkishor Jangde, Feroz Ali, Ashok Mishra, Satish Panch and Hiralal Pipriye were among those present.
