By Mohammad Shahid Dar, Agence India Press,
Anantnag: Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee today announced a slew of measures for the benefit of people of Jammu and Kashmir, including conducting railways recruitment exams in Urdu to help the local youth.
“The railway recruitment examinations will be conducted in Urdu also. Till now it was conducted in English and Hindi. I have also made Urdu compulsory along with other regional languages,” she said in while speaking at a function to inaugurate the Anantnag-Qazigund rail link in Kashmir valley.
The Union Minister said railway concessions for schools and colleges would now be extended to higher madrasas as well.
Banerjee also announced some benefits for minority women and those belonging to the economically backward classes.
“You will be happy to hear that we have removed filling of Postal Orders along with railway recruitment forms for the minority community women and economically backward classes,” she said.
The Railway recruitment examinations would now be held on the same day throughout the country to benefit people from all states.
The Minister said she would also look into the issue of compensation for those whose land was acquired by Railways. “I can assure you that we are taking all necessary action (to deal with the issue of land losers). 375 applications have already been screened. The screening process is on,” Banerjee said.
Describing Jammu and Kashmir as the heart of India, she said she would fulfil all promises made to the state in her budget.
“There is a project to connect upto Jammu. There are three other projects and surveys have been done. I will tell you all later after consultations with the Prime Minister,” she said.
She announced that Jammu Tavi station would be made “multi-functional”. A medical college with Public-Private Partnership would come up in the city, she promised.
Several non-stop Duranto train services connecting Jammu Tavi to Delhi, Varanasi and other cities would be started soon.
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