Railway minister Mamata Banerjee today announced a slew of measures for the benefit of people of Jammu and Kashmir, including conducting railways recruitment exams in Urdu to help the local youth.

"The railway recruitment examinations will be conducted in Urdu also. Till now it was conducted in English and Hindi. I have also made Urdu compulsory along with other regional languages," she said in while speaking at a function to inaugurate the Anantnag-Qazigund rail link in Kashmir valley.

The union minister said railway concessions for schools and colleges would now be extended to higher madrasas as well. Banerjee also announced some benefits for minority women and those belonging to the economically backward classes.

"You will be happy to hear that we have removed filling of Postal Orders along with railway recruitment forms for the minority community women and economically backward classes," she said.

The Railway recruitment examinations would now be held on the same day throughout the country to benefit people from all states. The minister said she would also look into the issue of compensation for those whose land was acquired by railways.