Badal requests Railway Minister to start Bidar-Nanded rail link

Union Minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal on Wednesday requested the Railway Ministry to start the rail link between Bidar in Karnataka and Maharashtra's Nanded as it will enhance connectivity between two important places of Sikhism.

"The rail link will be a gift to Sikh community commemorating the 550th Parkash Purb of Guru Nanak Dev as well as NDA government's commitment towards celebrations of Guru Nanak Dev's birth anniversary at the national level," Badal said in official communication.

In a letter written to the Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, Badal said that there was no rail link connecting Takht Sri Hazoor Sahib in Nanded and Gurudwara Sri Nanak Jhira Sahib in Bidar.

More than 3,000 pilgrims travel between Nanded and Bidar on a daily basis by road to visit both these historic places and absence of rail link hampers the travel of these pilgrims especially senior citizens and children, she said in the letter.

Badal reminded the Railway Ministry about an earlier letter written by former Punjab Chief Minister, Parkash Singh Badal, for the same.

"I have been informed that the Railway Ministry has already finished the survey and project reports have been submitted to the Railway Ministry by the Bidar MP," she said in her letter, requesting the minister to start the rail link at the earliest.

( With inputs from ANI )