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Development projects : Railways to connect all state capitals |
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The capitals of the seven north-eastern states will be connected by railways by 2011, thanks to an extension project which is under way.
This was announced at a press conference by North-east Frontier Railway (NFR) general manager (open lines), A.K. Sonwalka. A survey had already been conducted for the mega venture though certain “minor hitches” remain to be sorted out, he said.
The projects cover the Silchar-Jiribam stretch in the Cachar-Manipur sector, Bhairavi-Sairong in Mizoram and the 109-km Manu-Agartala in Tripura.
“We are confronting problems related to land acquisition in states like Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh. Members of an organisation also opposed extension of railway lines in Meghalaya,” Sonwalka said.
Nagaland is already connected till Dimapur but from then on, land acquisition problems have created a roadblock, he said.
Sonwalka, however, asserted that the problems would soon be sorted out and work would begin in Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland.
Sonwalka hinted that a dialogue would soon be initiated with outfits opposed to the railway extension in Meghalaya.
Regarding the extension of the line from Manu in Dhalai district to Agartala, Sonwalka said that poor soil condition and time taken to construct three tunnels, altogether 4100-metre long, through three major hill ranges have been delaying the project.
“However, 75 per cent of the work is complete and we hope to finish the work well in time for inauguration in December 2007,” Sonwalka said.
He added that there are 15 big bridges and 170 small ones on the 109-km Manu-Agartala stretch.
He further indicated that the present metre-gauge track being constructed has provisions for upgradation to broad gauge.
“In Assam, the conversion into broad gauge will be completed by the year 2009 and then we will take up work in Tripura,” said Sonwalka.
The rail connectivity will be a major boost to the regions’s huge tourism potential. It will also help in broadening the ambit of trade and commerce in the region.
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