An intermodal station has been planned for the convenience of devotees at Katra, the base camp of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi. It will have a railway station, helipad and bus stand in one place. The tripartite MoU for constructing the Inter Model Station will be signed soon. Headed by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, the Administrative Council approved signing tripartite MoU for the construction. A Memorandum of Understanding will be signed between the National Highways Authority of India, the Ministry of Railways and the Government of Jammu and Kashmir.
It is worth mentioning that Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari announced the setting up of Inter-Modal Station during his visit to the Doda district of the Jammu division last month. The Union Minister had asked the Jammu and Kashmir administration to identify the land. On this, the ministry has prepared the report of the ambitious project.
In this direction, the Administrative Council headed by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha has agreed to it after the meeting. So soon, the MoU will be signed by the Katra Development Authority on behalf of the Government of Jammu and Kashmir. For this, the Administrative Council has authorized the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Authority.
The development of the Inter Model Station will be done in two phases. The first would be the construction of the public zone and then the commercial infrastructure. Creating an intermodal station will accelerate commercial and economic activities in Katra. Funding in the MoU, coordination among the agencies involved in its construction will lead to an agreement to complete the project within the stipulated time frame.
