UP Chief Minister urges Centre for new railway line

, Dec 3: To provide better connectivity to Mubarakpur, the hub of world-renowned Banarasi saree,

Chief Minister

on Monday shot off a letter to Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal requesting him for laying a new Varanasi-Gorakhpur

line via Mubarakpur.

According to an official spokesman, Akhilesh in his letter said that a railway line linking Mubarakpur would solve several problems being faced by the Banarasi saree weavers.

The weavers get their raw material from places like Surat, Bengaluru, Malda and sometimes even from China and because there is no proper link with this place it is difficult for goods and people to reach there, the chief minister said.

The weavers here face a big problem in getting raw material as also finding market for their product and so they have to depend on middlemen, Akhilesh said.

This railway line would be beneficial for weavers and help them establish direct contact in the market and improve their financial condition, he said in the letter.

PTI