Bansal lands in city with goodies train

The much-delayed rail link between Chandigarh and Ludhiana will be completed soon. The work has been stuck in the pipeline for several years. While a train from Chandigarh to Delhi via Yamunanagar will be mooted, the proposal for making Chandigarh Railway Station a world-class station will be looked into. Besides, a double track will be constructed on the Chandigarh-Ambala route.

Union Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal made these announcements at a press conference soon after landing here on his maiden visit to the city on Thursday after taking over as the Railway Minister.

This is Bansal's third consecutive term as the city's MP. He was also the MP in 1991. In his earlier assignments, he was Minister of State for Finance and Minister for Parliamentary Affairs and Water Resources.

A large crowd had gathered at the Chandigarh Airport with people jostling with one another to greet the newly inducted minister. The road outside the arrival gate turned orange with marigolds strewn by the time he left the airport.

Apart from senior Congress leaders and councillors, a large number of party workers from different places had gathered. Some of them had been ferried by the senior leaders. Carrying garlands and bouquets in hands and raising slogans, they waited for him outside the arrival gate.

Huge hoardings were put up on the roads leading to the airport congratulating Bansal on his elevation. There was a heavy police presence along the road to the airport as well as at the airport. The wait turned long with the flight reaching around 5.40 pm. A few leaders waited at the terminal as well.

The security personnel at the airport had to intervene to allow the Union minister a smooth passage. From the airport, a cavalcade of vehicles moved towards Bansal's residence in Sector 28. A large number of people had gathered there as well to meet him.

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