Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to Jammu and Kashmir to flag off the Vande Bharat Express from Katra to Srinagar on April 19 has been postponed.
This was confirmed by Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh, who is the MoS for the Prime Minister’s Office.
Sources said that the visit has been postponed amid a forecast of adverse weather conditions during the period.
The IMD office in Srinagar has forecast widespread rains across Jammu and Kashmir from April 18, with the most significant impact expected on April 18 and 19.
Preparations were underway for the high-profile visit with mock drills and trial runs along the 272-km Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Line (USBRL). A successful trial run of the train on this section was conducted on Tuesday, too.
The security forces and the police, too, had initiated combing and search operations across the Union Territory in view of the PM’s scheduled visit. The entire security grid was put on maximum alert, with searches going on especially in the Kathua, Udhampur, Reasi and Ramban districts.
On Tuesday, while the security forces initiated searches in the forests of Lassana in Poonch district, Inspector General of Police for Kashmir zone, V K Birdi, conducted a high-level security review meeting to assess preparedness for the upcoming events, including the PM’s visit and the Amarnath yatra beginning July 3.
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Two Vande Bharat Express trains — one from Srinagar to Katra and another from Katra to Srinagar — are scheduled to run on the inauguration day.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
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