Srinagar, April 16:— Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to Jammu and Kashmir on April 19 has been postponed, sources said Tuesday, citing a weather alert issued by the Meteorological Department. However, no official statement has been released regarding the postponement.
Modi was expected to inaugurate two major infrastructure projects during the visit — the world’s highest railway arch bridge over the Chenab River and the Vande Bharat Express between Katra and Srinagar, part of the long-awaited Udhampur-Srinagar-Baramulla Rail Link (USBRL) project.
“The Prime Minister was scheduled to flag off the Vande Bharat on the new USBRL section and also address a public rally in Katra,” said a senior Railway official. “The visit has now been postponed. A new date is yet to be confirmed.”
Preparations for the high-profile visit had been underway for weeks, including trial runs and mock drills on the USBRL stretch. The 272-km rail line, which connects the Kashmir Valley to the rest of India, is seen as a strategic and engineering milestone.
Sources added that the visit may now be rescheduled towards the end of April, but officials have not issued any confirmation.
The postponement comes amid heightened attention to the Vande Bharat launch, which would mark the first time a semi-high-speed train reaches Srinagar.
