Churu : Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will present the Union Budget for the financial year 2024-25 in the Parliament, due to which questions are arising in the minds of the people of Churu district whether this time there will be an announcement of laying railway tracks in Taranagar, which is deprived of rail service, and whether rail services will be developed in Sardarshahar. The district residents are eagerly waiting to see what is going to come in the budget to make Churu district developed, along with connecting the regions to rivers, providing work to every hand and water to every field, among the expectations from the Central Government regarding the budget.
A big issue in the Lok Sabha elections
In the last Lok Sabha elections, the main issues were rail development and connecting Churu district, the land of streams, with a canal. Along with the issue of work for every hand and water for every field, laying of rail tracks for Taranagar was a big issue. The issue of connecting Rini with rail service has been going on for years, but Taranagar has not heard the whistle and chugging sound of the train till date.
Taranagar is adjacent to the five assembly constituencies of Lok Sabha
Churu is the only assembly constituency in the Lok Sabha constituency which is adjacent to five assembly constituencies including Hanumangarh district and all these five areas are connected by railway. People of Nohar-Bhadra, Sardarshahar, Sadulpur and Taranagar bordering Churu have not been able to see the train till Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav. It is said that now this tehsil needs to be taken on the path of development. Therefore, not only Taranagar but the people of the entire region are waiting for the laying of railway tracks here.
A decade ago, the Railway Ministry conducted a RECT survey in 2010 for a new line between Churu-Nohar via Taranagar. The survey stated that the proposed cost of laying 118.70 km long rail track was Rs 342.20 crore. The report of this survey conducted under Bikaner division was sent to the Railway Board on 31 January 2011, but the Railway Board has shelved this report on 19 October 2011.
Second Report
If sources are to be believed, a survey was conducted in 2011 itself for a new line from Sardarshahar to Sadulpur via Taranagar. In the RECT survey, the cost of laying a new railway line of about 102 km was estimated to be around Rs 515 crore. The report with these proposals was sent to the Railway Board on 27 March 2012, but it too was not approved.
Sardarshahar-Suratgarh-Ratangarh new railway line
Sardarshahar, which is a big tehsil, is an important area from business, industry and strategic point of view for rail expansion in the district. A team formed by the railways conducted a survey for a new line from Sardarshahar to Suratgarh and Ratangarh to Sardarshahar. The RECT survey presented a report proposing about Rs 392 crore for a new rail line of 118.84 km length. This report was shelved by the Railway Board on 9 March 2017.
Canal is a big issue
The entire district is connected to the canal. Although the state government has taken the initiative to connect Churu, Sikar and Jhunjhunu to the canal during Amritkaal, the people of the district are still confused about whether Yamuna water will be available for drinking or for irrigating the fields. That is why the people of the district are hopeful that perhaps some such announcement will be made in the upcoming budget on the plan made during Atal ji’s time to connect Thalli and Shekhawati to the rivers, on which the people of the region can trust.
