Early Times Report BAHRAICH, Aug 31: Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that Bahraich had once even been the center from where India was governed, but the region remained deprived of development even after Independence. He said that one thousand years ago, Maharaja Suheldev had defeated Salar Masud in Bahraich itself and freed India from foreign invaders, but even after Independence, Maharaja Suheldev was forgotten for decades. Urs and fairs were organised in the name of Salar Masud, repeatedly humiliating the country. "But today, no event is organised in the name of any foreign invader here. Instead, a grand memorial of Maharaja Suheldev has been completed." On Monday, Chief Minister, along with Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who joined the program virtually, inaugurated the Nepalganj Road (Rupaidiha)-Nanpara-Bahraich rail section and train service on it at a program organised in Bahraich. Both flagged off the special train to Varanasi. Railway Minister announced that Bahraich-Nanpara-Nepalganj Road rail section would be connected to the broad gauge network. CM expressed his gratitude to Prime Minister and the Railway Minister for announcing four other trains. He stated that Railway Minister had ensured that railway broad gauge work on Bahraich-Nanpara-Nepalganj Road route, a 56-km rail section, was completed within the stipulated time at a cost of Rs 730 crore. The first train will run from Rupaidiha to Varanasi City, the abode of Baba Vishwanath. Chief Minister said, "Bahraich, which had enhanced India's glorious saga, became deprived of development. Rail connectivity was almost non-existent and whatever connectivity existed was in the form of metre gauge (narrow gauge). Connectivity with friendly neighbouring country Nepal could also not be established. After Independence, railway lines at several places were converted from metre gauge to broad gauge. Several new trains, including the Shatabdi, were introduced, yet this section continued to remain metre gauge, a symbol of the narrow-minded thinking of those governments that considered it merely a border area and turned it into a synonym for backwardness. For them, this may have been the last region, but for us, this Rupaidiha-Bahraich-Nanpara region has been India's gateway. People of this region had been eagerly waiting for this day for decades. Generations passed, but this dream and resolve are being realised today."
|