The Indian Navy is set to commission ‘Androth’ — its second state-of-the-art the next-generation ships — capable of detecting enemy submarines in shallow waters.
Called the anti-submarine warfare shallow water craft (ASW-SWC), Androth will be commissioned Naval Dockyard, Visakhapatnam. The first ship of the class called INS Arnala was commissioned in June this year.
The Androth — derives its name from Island by the same name in in the Lakshadweep archipelago in the Arabian sea.
The ship is made by Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE) Kolkatta, a public sector company which is in public-private-partnership with private company L&T having a shipyard at Kattupalli, Tamil Nadu.
The Navy is getting 16 such ships being made at cost of nearly Rs 13,000 crore. Public Sector shipyards the Cochin Shipyard Limited and GRSE have been contracted to manufacture eight ships each.
The primary role of these ships is to detect, track and prosecute enemy submarines, particularly in coastal and shallow water regions. Equipped with advanced underwater sensors such as the hull-mounted sonar Abhay, underwater acoustic communication system and low-frequency sonar, these vessels are capable of comprehensive underwater surveillance.
To neutralise underwater threats, the ships feature a state-of-the-art weapon suite, including lightweight torpedoes, rockets, anti-torpedo decoys and advanced mine-laying capabilities.
The warship incorporates more than 80 per cent indigenous content and integrates advanced systems from leading Indian defence firms, including Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL), L&T, Mahindra Defence, and MEIL.
The project has engaged over 55 Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), promoting domestic industry and generating related economic activity.
Rajnath inaugurates Tata’s military vehicle making plant in Morocco
The facility will manufacture the ‘Wheeled Armoured Platform’ (WhAP), an indigenously developed 8×8 combat vehicle jointly designed by TASL and the Defence Research and Development Organisation
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Moroccan counterpart Abdelatif Loudyi on Tuesday jointly inaugurated Tata Advanced Systems Limited’s (TASL) state-of-the-art defence manufacturing facility in Berrechid, Morocco.
Singh described the occasion as “a historic moment”, saying it was not just the opening of a new plant, but “the beginning of a new chapter in friendship between India and Morocco”.
The facility will manufacture the ‘Wheeled Armoured Platform’ (WhAP), an indigenously developed 8×8 combat vehicle jointly designed by TASL and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). Spread over 20,000 square metres, the plant will produce multiple WhAP variants for the Moroccan armed forces.
The WhAP is a modern, modular combat platform equipped with advanced mobility, protection and mission adaptability. It features a survivable hull with ballistic and mine protection and is powered by a high-performance engine to ensure superior off-road capability.
Configurations include infantry fighting vehicle, armoured personnel carrier, reconnaissance vehicle, command post, mortar carrier and even ambulance variants. Options for manned or unmanned remote weapon stations and anti-tank guided missile integration further enhance its versatility, the Ministry of Defence said.
Under its contract with the Government of Morocco, TASL will deliver WhAP 8×8 vehicles to the Royal Moroccan Army, with initial deliveries scheduled to begin next month. The facility became operational three months ahead of schedule, and production has already commenced. It is Morocco’s largest defence manufacturing unit and marks the first such plant set up by an Indian private company in Africa.
Singh said the project is expected to generate significant defence-related employment and foster a robust local ecosystem of engineers, technicians and suppliers. About one-third of the components and sub-systems will be sourced and assembled locally from the outset, with local value addition expected to rise to 50 per cent in the coming years. Dedicated partners are also engaged to provide critical subsystems and technologies, ensuring in-country product support.
When Portugal met Porus: Roman mosaic rekindles Kangra’s legacy
In Dharamsala, a hill town long steeped in history, echoes of one of India’s greatest battles found an unlikely resonance — in a Roman mosaic discovered thousands of miles away in Portugal. At a seminar hosted by Government College, Dharamsala, and the Maharaja Sansar Chandra Museum, scholars traced the fabled Battle of the Hydaspes, where Alexander the Great confronted King Porus, to a mosaic unearthed in Alter do Chão.
Portuguese archaeologist Jorge Antonio and Indian historian Dr Arunansh B Goswami suggested the artwork may well depict Alexander’s campaign in India, transforming the find into a symbolic bridge between continents. For the Katoch dynasty of Kangra, descendants of Porus, the connection carried intimate meaning.
“This mosaic is proof that our history is not just myth. It’s part of global memory,” said Mehran Singh Katoch, a young participant moved by the recognition. His words mirrored the pride of many who see in Porus a figure whose defiance still inspires.
Dr Goswami underscored how Porus and other Indian rulers resisted Alexander with such determination that even the Greeks took notice, not only of their courage but also of Indian philosophy, with some later embracing Hindu and Buddhist thought.
Aishwarya Katoch, scion of the Kangra royal family, reminded the gathering: “This is about reclaiming our narratives. It’s time we tell our stories to the world.”
The seminar, steered by Dr Amit Katoch of Government College, Dharamsala, resonated beyond academic circles. As India and Portugal mark five decades of diplomatic ties, the event became a reminder of history’s enduring threads and of Kangra’s resolve to preserve the legacy of one of the world’s oldest living dynasties.
The Ismaili Singhs of upper Chitral: An untold story of Sikh legacy in the mountains of Pakistan
This summer, I spent several weeks in Lahore. The oppressive heat across the plains of Pakistani Punjab was quite unbearable, so I decided to escape north to Chitral for about 10 days. A few Lahori friends and I hired a 12-passenger van and headed north.
We headed out of Lahore via the motorway — first to Islamabad and then through Mardan (very close to Peshawar), past the Dir mountain ranges to the steep ascent of Lowari Pass (at an elevation of about 10,000 feet), and crossed a 10-km-long tunnel.
On the other side of the tunnel was Chitral Valley. The scene instantly reminded me of the Banihal tunnel in India, on the other side of which lies the lush green Kashmir valley.
Chitral Valley, situated in the northern area of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (formerly North West Frontier Province) in Pakistan, is located significantly north of the Indian region of Leh and Ladakh. North of it lies the Afghan-controlled Wakhan Corridor, a narrow strip of land that separates Chitral from Tajikistan.
Chitral is a place of breathtaking beauty, and the locals, seemingly immersed in a deep sense of peace, are a sight to behold. It is no wonder that Chitral is often associated with happiness.
The flat southern area of the valley is referred to as lower Chitral, while the northern mountainous part is upper Chitral.
Upper Chitral has snow-capped mountains rising straight from rivers swollen with ice-cold waters from melting glaciers above. It includes Qaqlasht Meadows, Torkho Valley, and many other gems of nature in Upper Chitral.
During this visit to the small town of Booni in Upper Chitral, I was captivated by a freestyle polo game at the Booni Polo Ground. At half time, a player caught my eye with his polo shirt emblazoned with ‘Singh Polo Club’. This was a surprising sight, as the use of ‘Singh’ as a religious name is typically associated with Sikhs, a community not found in Booni.
Players in action at Booni Polo Ground.A player wearing Singh Polo Club vest.
As the game progressed, I approached the player during the break. The player, Bashir Singh, revealed to me that they were proud descendants of Sikhs who settled in the Upper Chitral valley in the early 1850s. This revelation was quite surprising and piqued my curiosity, as it was not documented in any book of Sikh history, despite my extensive reading.
Bashir Singh
Back at my guest house, I delved online into research, but found nothing other than some information on the Sikh regiment from the famous 1895 siege of Chitral — some of whose personnel settled later in the city of Chitral and married local women.
The next day, I met Bashir and Babbar Singh, a well-known Chitrali singer with a melodious voice. Both of them were Ismaili Muslims, who understood spoken Punjabi but could not speak it.
Babbar Singh, a well-known Chitrali singer.
Babbar invited me to meet an elder of their community to gain a better understanding of their history. He drove me from Booni to the nearby rural riverside village of Singhandae (village of Singhs), near Awi, which has over 250 Singh families in the area known as Singhandae.
Meer Wali Khan Singh, an uncle of Babbar Singh, is a knowledgeable retired school principal. He has a detailed family tree going back to the 1850s. He shared that there were over 500 Ismaili Muslim families in Upper Chitral with the last name ‘Singh’.
Meer Wali Khan Singh, a village elder of Singhandae.
He shared the Singh family tree and elaborated that the first Singh to arrive in the upper Chitral Valley was Gulab Singh, a Sikh soldier from the Maharaja of Kashmir. He came to the Mehtar of Chitral in the 1850s in search of better economic opportunities and settled in upper Chitral. The Mehtar saw his leadership skills and appointed him the Hakam (ruler) of the upper Chitral region from Rashun to Gasht near Laspur.
Gulab Singh maintained the Sikh religious identity, followed by Rabat Singh, Budad Singh, and Bahadur Singh, all of whom upheld the Sikh faith. Mehndi Singh, the son of Bahadur Singh, was the first in the family to convert to Sunni Islam, but he retained the ancestral family name of Singh in honour of his Sikh roots.
Meer Wali Khan shared that all Ismaili Singhs of Booni are descendants of Mehndi Singh. Over the past 75 years, they have adopted Ismaili Islam, yet they proudly retain the Singh surname, a testament to their deeply rooted Sikh heritage.
Today, over 500 Ismaili Singh families call upper Chitral their home, with the largest population of about 250 families in Singhandae. Other villages with significant Singh populations in the order of decreasing Singh population are Mehragram, Rashun, Parwak, Dukandeh, and Gasht.
It needs to be noted that these Singhs of upper Chitral did not descend from the early 1800s’ Sikh traders of Chitral or the Sikh regiment that participated in the 1895 siege of Chitral. The 1901 census of Chitral, carried out by the British, indicated that approximately 20 per cent of the population was Sikh — they mostly left for India in 1947, and a few converted to Islam to stay back.
Although the Ismaili Singhs of Upper Chitral do not follow any Sikh religious practices, some of them can understand spoken Punjabi.
The facial features of the Ismaili Singhs are quite Chitrali, but their eyes still reveal their past hidden Punjabi ethnic and Sikh heritage.
The most well-known Singh of Singhandae is a woman, Suriya Bibi, Deputy Speaker of KP Assembly and the first woman ever elected on a general seat in the history of Chitral.
Suriya Bibi
When I visited the village of Singhandae this July, I was told that I was the first Sikh to visit the village since 1947.
Walking around the village, I was struck by the seamless integration of Ismaili Muslim Singhs into the Chitrali society. They have fully embraced the Chitrali way of life, yet they honour their Sikh ancestors by retaining their last name as Singh while practising Islam.
(The writer is a US-based history enthusiast and scholar with deep roots in South Asia and the United States of America. He is a faculty member at The Ohio State University and Director of Jeevay Sanjha Punjab)
Chandigarh’s real estate auctions have become some of the most closely watched property events in North India. What once drew modest bids now routinely sees jaw-dropping figures, with reserve prices doubling or even tripling within minutes of the hammer falling.
Estate Office data reveals auction bids doubling and tripling reserve prices, stamp duty collections hitting new highs — yet repeated cancellations and slowing registrations warn that the city’s land rush is red hot but risky.
From residential plots in Sectors 37, 38 and 40 to marquee commercial and nursing home sites in 19-B, 33-C and 51, the numbers tell a story of staggering escalation. But behind the glitter is a growing shadow — repeated defaults by winning bidders, forcing cancellations and raising serious questions about speculative buying.
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HOW THE ESCALATION UNFOLDED
2019: The turning point
In early 2019, residential sites in Sectors 32, 37 and 40 drew bids of Rs 1.7 crore to Rs4.5 crore, nearly double THE reserve prices. By November, a 1,014 sq. yd. site in Sector 33 sold for Rs 15.3 crore against a base of Rs 7.5 crore — more than twice the reserve and became a marker of things to come.
2022: Momentum turns into frenzy
In February–March, a 528 sq. yd. site in Sector 40-B fetched Rs 6.5 crore against a reserve of Rs 3.7 crore. Plots in Sectors 34 and 37 went for Rs 4.2-5.6 crore. Commercial sites also witnessed a surge. An SCO (Shop Cum Office) site in Sector 42 hit Rs 8.5 crore, over twice its Rs 3.7 crore base. Nursing home sites leapt higher — two plots in Sector 51 sold for Rs 8.5-9.3 crore, nearly 40 per cent above reserve. Later in the year, a 744 sq. yd. nursing home site in Sector 33-C fetched Rs 18.25 crore, 2.5 times its reserve.
2025: A record-breaking September
This year underlined how deep-pocketed the demand has become.
Three adjacent 503 sq. yd. plots in Sector 19-B sold for over Rs 22 crore each, nearly triple their Rs 7.4 crore reserve.
A 1,014 sq. yd. site in Sector 33-C set a record at Rs 33.41 crore, more than double its Rs 14.9 crore reserve.
The trend was similar even for smaller plots of 127–200 sq. yds. in Sectors 40 and 44, which sold for Rs 4–6.6 crore, far above their reserve.
On the commercial side, a double SCO site in Sector 8-C touched Rs 20 crore, while constructed booths in Sectors 44 and 45 crossed Rs 2.25 crore, originally reserved under Rs 80 lakh.
THE RECURRING WEAK SPOT: DEFAULTS
For every record bid, the Estate Office has had to grapple with bidders who vanish after winning. Beginning in 2019, multiple defaults were witnessed, including residential sites in Sectors 37 and 38 and booths in Sector 44. Defaults persisted in 2022, seen in Sectors 40-B, 37, 33 and the headline SCO 42 deal (Rs 8.5 crore), which was cancelled after non-payment.
In 2025, successful bidders for constructed booths in Sector 44 failed to deposit the mandatory 25 per cent, leaving officials to decide on forfeiture and re-auction.
Estate Officer Nishant Kumar Yadav admits the problem, saying, “The aggressive bidding reflects Chandigarh’s unique demand-supply equation. But repeated defaults show speculative players are entering auctions without liquidity. We are exploring stricter eligibility criteria so only serious buyers participate.”
A HIGH-WIRE ACT
In just five years, Chandigarh’s property auctions have gone from crores to tens of crores, turning a limited land supply into one of India’s hottest real estate theatres. But with registrations falling and defaults rising, the boom looks less like a straight climb and more like a high-wire act — dazzling, yes, but precariously balanced.
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Defaults being firmly addressed
Chandigarh’s planned character and limited land supply makes every auction a high-stakes contest, pushing bids to record highs and significantly boosting revenue. This reflects the strong faith property buyers have in the city’s transparent land governance. While defaults do occur, they are being firmly addressed — in this month’s auctions, for instance, of 13 residential properties, only one case of default was reported. Our priority is to ensure that Chandigarh’s property growth is shaped by serious, committed buyers rather than speculative players.
Scarcity of land: With almost no new sectors being carved out, every fresh plot is a prized rarity.
Planned city premium: Chandigarh’s reputation for regulated development keeps values resilient.
Rental yields: Commercial SCOs and booths deliver steady, high rental returns, making them magnets for investors.
Status symbol: A premium house or clinic in central sectors like 19-B or 33-C carries unmatched prestige.
THE CHANDIGARH TREND
Chandigarh’s property market continues to swing between euphoria and caution, reflecting the unique dynamics of a city with finite land and unmatched demand.
Auctions driving big numbers
Every UT Estate Office auction is treated as a high-stakes contest. The city’s planned character and scarcity of land push bidders to outdo one another. Officials stress that aggressive bidding underlines confidence in Chandigarh’s transparent governance framework.
Registrations show sustained demand
Parallel to auctions, the property registration trend paints a consistent picture of demand. Transactions remain buoyant, despite periodic policy changes and fluctuations in stamp duty. High-value transactions — especially in premium sectors — demonstrate that Chandigarh remains on investors’ radar.
Revenue keeps rising
For the UT Administration, auctions and registrations translate into robust revenue. Each crore earned from premiums, transfer charges, and stamp duty strengthens civic infrastructure funding. Recent figures indicate year-on-year growth, driven equally by record auction bids and steady registration numbers. Officials note while defaults impact short-term inflows, strict enforcement ensures minimal long-term loss
The road ahead
The twin drivers — high-value auctions and steady registrations — make Chandigarh one of the most resilient urban property markets in the region. The challenge lies in balancing investor appetite with safeguards that deter speculative defaults, ensuring that growth is anchored in genuine ownership rather than risky churn.
Nurpur Fort: Where legends sleep and heritage waits to awaken
High on a rugged cliff overlooking the Jabbar river in Himachal Pradesh’s Kangra district stands Nurpur Fort, a weathered sentinel of history. Built nearly a 1,000 years ago, this architectural marvel has witnessed dynasties rise and fall, conquests unfold and legends take shape.
Today, though its palace walls crumble and frescoes fade, the fort still whispers stories of courage, devotion and timeless artistry. Its intricate carvings of animals, deities, and royal figures remain as fragile echoes of its grandeur awaiting the restoration that could revive its legacy for generations to come.
Once called Dhameri, the town of Nurpur traces its royal lineage back to the 11th century, when Jeth Pal of the Tomar dynasty founded a kingdom here. The Pathania rulers who followed gave the region both prosperity and pride, none more than Raja Jagat Singh Pathania (1618–1646). His reign is still celebrated in folk ballads that praise his just rule:
History records that even the Mughal court could not resist Nurpur’s charm. Queen Nur Jahan, enchanted during a visit with Emperor Jahangir, expressed her desire to settle here. Local lore says that the clever Raja, unwilling to surrender his jewel of a valley, staged a crowd of goitre patients to convince her otherwise. The queen, alarmed, quickly changed her mind. The town, however, kept her name — Nurpur.
The fort’s walls are not only stone and mortar but also soaked in stories of resistance. Among them shines the tale of Wazir Ram Singh Pathania, a young prince who rose against British designs on Nurpur in 1848, nearly a decade before the First War of Independence. Betrayed during worship and imprisoned, he was sent to the dreaded ‘Kalapani’ and later to Rangoon. Tortured but unyielding, he died at just 24, a martyr for freedom.
His courage found voice in the ballads sung by Kaka Darves of Chowari, who, with his sarangi, stirred patriotic fervour by singing: “Koi Killa Pathania Zor Kadiya…” These songs, once carried on the winds of Nurpur, kept alive the flame of resistance in young hearts.
Tucked within Nurpur Fort lies one of its rarest jewels — the Sri Brijraj Swami Temple. What makes it extraordinary is its devotion not to Radha but to Meera Bai, alongside Lord Krishna. According to legend, the idol of Krishna, once worshipped by Meera herself, was brought from Chittor as a royal gift. Even today, its faded frescoes reflect a time when devotion and artistry were inseparable, binding the fort’s cultural and spiritual identity.
Today, the fort lies under the care of the Archaeological Survey of India, though much of it stands neglected. Crumbling bastions and weatherworn frescoes bear testimony to time’s slow decay. The descendants of Nurpur’s royal lineage, including Durgeshwar Singh Pathania, call for urgent restoration. They envision light-and-sound shows, revival of folk ballads, and cultural events to breathe life back into its corridors.
Rajeshwar Pathania, descendant of Wazir Ram Singh, sees Nurpur Fort not only as a historic monument but as a self-sustaining citadel of resilience. His plea is simple: let the fort’s legacy of valour and devotion become a beacon for both heritage lovers and travellers.
If given a chance, Nurpur Fort could rise again — not merely as ruins to be remembered, but as a living monument where history, culture and pride converge.
Builder-bank nexus: SC allows CBI to register six more FIRs
The Bench is dealing with petitions filed by several homebuyers, who booked flats under subvention schemes in various housing projects in Noida, Greater Noida and Gurugram, and were allegedly forced by banks to pay EMIs despite not getting possession of flats
The Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed the CBI to register six more regular cases (RCs) to probe into the alleged unholy nexus between banks and builders to dupe homebuyers in real estate projects in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Mohali and Prayagraj.
A three-judge Bench led by Justice Surya Kant allowed the CBI to proceed as per law after Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati mentioned on behalf of the probe agency that it has completed preliminary enquiry (PE) in projects of various builders, except Supertech Ltd, falling outside Delhi-NCR in Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Mohali and Prayagraj.
The PE revealed commission of cognisable offences, Bhati said, adding the agency wanted to register six RCs and conduct search and seizure in the matter.
While allowing the CBI to go ahead with the registration of RCs, the Bench, which also included Justice Ujjal Bhuyan and Justice N Kotiswar Singh, asked the ASG to share relevant portions of the sealed cover CBI report with amicus curiae advocate Rajiv Jain.
Taking note of an “unholy nexus” between banks and builders resulting in duping of thousands of unsuspecting homebuyers in Delhi-NCR, the Supreme Court had on April 29 directed the CBI to register seven PEs against Supertech Ltd and other builders.
On July 22, it had allowed the CBI to register 22 cases to probe the “unholy nexus” between banks and developers to dupe homebuyers in Delhi-NCR and had granted six weeks to the agency to complete the PEs with regard to projects outside the NCR.
The Bench is dealing with petitions filed by several homebuyers, who booked flats under subvention schemes in various housing projects in Noida, Greater Noida and Gurugram, and were allegedly forced by banks to pay EMIs despite not getting possession of flats.
Under the subvention scheme, banks disburse the sanctioned amount directly to the accounts of builders, who are then required to pay EMIs on the sanctioned loan amount until flats are handed over to homebuyers. After builders started defaulting on EMIs to banks, as per the tripartite agreement, the banks sought EMIs from the homebuyers.
Earlier, taking note of a CBI report recommending registration of seven PEs, the Bench had directed the UP and Haryana DGPs to give a list of DSPs, inspectors and constables to the agency to constitute a special investigation team (SIT) for the probe.
It had also ordered the CEOs/administrators of Greater Noida Authority, Noida Authority, secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, RERA (UP) and RERA (Haryana), the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and the RBI to notify one nodal officer from among their senior-most officers to assist the SIT.
The Bench has been monitoring the progress of the probe on a monthly basis so that poor homebuyers “can be bailed out of the crisis”.
The amicus curiae had called Supertech Ltd the “main culprit” in defrauding homebuyers, whereas Corporation Bank advanced more than Rs 2,700 crore to builders through subvention schemes. Supertech Ltd alone had secured a loan amount of Rs 5,157.86 crore since 1998, he had submitted.
50 years on, Centre shows green signal to Rajpura-Mohali rail link
Will cut travel distance by 66 km; approval also for Ferozepur-Delhi Vande Bharat
In a major boost for Punjab’s economy, the BJP-led NDA government on Tuesday announced two major railway projects for the border state–the long sought Rajpura-Mohali rail link and a new Vande Bharat train between Ferozepur and Delhi.
The Rajpura-Mohali link, the demand for which was first raised in Parliament in 1976, will reduce travel distance by approximately 66 km and considerably cut the commuting duration between Patiala and Chandigarh. Currently, trains from Ludhiana have to pass through Ambala to reach Chandigarh.
All 13 districts of the Malwa region will also be connected to Chandigarh, easing traffic on the existing Rajpura-Ambala rail route and shortening the Ambala-Morinda link. Among available options, this route also requires the least agricultural land acquisition, ensuring minimal impact on farming activities. The 18-km link will cost Rs 443 crore, with the Centre estimating a two-year completion timeline.
Vande Bharat train will, meanwhile, ensure daily service (barring Wednesday) connecting the border district of Ferozepur to the national capital. The train will cover 486 km through Ferozepur Cantt, Bathinda, Patiala and Delhi route in six hours and 40 minutes.
The twin announcements were made by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu, with the Centre intimating Punjab about key sanctions.
Rajpura-Mohali link benefits
Patiala commuters currently take Rajpura-Ambala rail route to reach Chandigarh; or travel via Rajpura, Sirhind, Morinda and Mohali
New link to ease traffic on Rajpura-Ambala route
Will directly connect Mohali rail link to Sirhind-Rajpura rail link at Sarai Banjara and save people’s detours
Among available options, the new link requires the least agricultural land acquisition
Will enable faster movement of agricultural produce; reduce transportation costs for industries
Connects Gurdwara Fatehgarh Sahib, shrine of Shaikh Ahmad al-Faruqi al-Sirhindi, Haveli of Todar Mal and Sanghol Museum
He said majority land to be acquired for the link did not fall in agricultural zones. “The Centre will offer adequate compensation. We urge farmer unions to help us realise the crucial project in time. It is a 50-year-old demand,” Bittu said, adding that while two years was the estimated project timeline, the Centre hoped to “definitely complete it within three years”.
The demand for the Rajpura-Mohali rail link was first made by Congress MPs Narain Chand Prashar and Raghunandan Lal in the Lok Sabha in March 1976.
The new Vande Bharat train will connect Ferozepur, Faridkot, Bathinda, Dhuri (CM Mann’s home segment), Patiala, Ambala Cantt, Kurukshetra, Panipat and Delhi. Asked when the Vande Bharat train will be operational, Bittu said, “Within days.”
“PM Narendra Modi normally tries to flag off projects of great importance himself. The train will be flagged off within days,” Bittu told this correspondent, indicating a possible flag-off (physical or virtual) by the PM himself.
Vaishnaw said the BJP government had raised the rail budget for Punjab around 25 times from Rs 225 crore between 2009 and 2014 to Rs 5,421 crore in 2025-26.
