| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| S.ravi |
Posted - 03/27/2009 : 01:52:27
NFR keen to extend railway line up to Akhaura
Agartala, Mar 27 : The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) authority has clarified that the Indian Railway was ready to extend tracks up to Akhaura checkpost with Bangladesh along Agartala town, if India and Bangladesh governments want.
NFR officials here said the authorities had already completed the survey work of 17 km stretch from Agartala station to checkpost in 1999 and since Bangladesh was plain area, it would not be difficult to connect it with Akhaura station, only 23 km from the checkpost.
''There is railway service between Kolkata and Dhaka and if Akhaura is connected to Agartala both business and passenger traffic would be substantial and beneficial for both countries,'' the officials stated, adding that if required, direct train service could be commissioned between Kolkata and Agartala via Dhaka.
They also pointed out that the train service through Dhaka would give a boost to Bangladesh's economy apart from increasing export and import between the neighbours.
According to reports, during the visit of NFR General Manager Ashutosh Swami, the Tripura Chief Secretary had taken up the matter.
Both the railway ministry and the Tripura government would take up the issue with the external affairs ministry after the elections.
--- UNI
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| 3 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| S.ravi |
Posted - 10/01/2009 : 11:03:58
Tripura CM proposes to deploy AR for security for railways
http://news.webindia123.com/news/ar_showdetails.asp?id=910010031&cat=&n_date=20091001
Agartala | Thursday, Oct 1 2009
Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar has reiterated the proposal to deploy Assam Rifles jawans in trouble-torn NC Hills of Assam for providing security to facilitate gauge conversion work between Lumding and Badarpur during a meeting here with the AR's General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C).
Talking to mediapersons here today, Mr Sarkar said with the improvement of general law and order situation in Tripura, he had proposed to redeploy Assam Rifles to expedite railway work in the last internal security meeting at New Delhi.
''I once again put forth the proposal before GOC-in-C Lieutenant General NK Singh last evening and he also appreciated the reduction of insurgent activities in Tripura,'' Mr Sarkar underlined.
After the meeting with the Chief Minister, Lt Gen Singh said Assam Rifles had been persistently working for restoring peace and normalcy in Northeast and the force was able to bring back a huge number of misguided youths to the mainstream
in recent years.
About 370 insurgents will lay down arms formally tomorrow in NC Hills and the Centre had initiated several steps to contain insurgency in the region, which had started yielding positive results, Lt Gen Singh added.
He arrived here yesterday on a day's visit and met Chief Minister Manik Sarkar and Governor DN Sahaya, besides holding meeting with the Assam Rifles officials.
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| S.ravi |
Posted - 09/11/2009 : 13:09:22
NFR assures to complete gauge conversion by 2012
http://news.webindia123.com/news/ar_showdetails.asp?id=909110038&cat=&n_date=20090911
Agartala | Friday, Sep 11 2009
The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has reaffirmed that the gauge conversion
between Lumding and Badarpur, connecting Tripura, South Assam and Mizoram, will
be completed by 2012, as per announcement in last railway budget.
NFR officials here today said following irregular train service and other
related issues, including track conversion to broad-gauge in southern part of the Northeastern region, Minister for Development of Northeast Region (DoNER) BK Handique held review meeting with the railway and security officials as well as the political leaders of south Assam on September 8. The meeting resolved that Assam Government would provide all-out support for timely completion of the task while Mr Handique asserted that there was no dearth of money and will on the part of the Central government.
Earlier, in 1996, the Ministry of Railways had taken up the gauge conversion
work in 201 km route and it was decided that the project would be completed by
2003. But then it was rescheduled in 2006 for the first time and then rescheduled in 2010 and finally the project was further delayed this year because only 30 per cent of the work had been completed so far.
The Tripura government had urged the ministry to compete the task within the
time frame and to take initiative, coordinating with the Union Ministry of Home
Affairs and Assam government and pointed out that there was no reason of delaying the project in Tripura at least.
According to the Ministry's statement, 89 km railway track laying work in Manu-Agartala and Kumarghat-Agartala took five years while Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has managed to complete only 292 km during the period.
The 16 ongoing projects, including gauge conversion work in Lumding-Silchar-Jiribum, Badarpur-Kumarghat and Kathakal-Bhairabi, were set to be completed by March 2012, which was supposed to be completed by next year. Similarly, Agartala-Sabroom railway track-laying work was also delayed and announced to be completed by 2014.
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| S.ravi |
Posted - 09/09/2009 : 12:02:31
Railways to complete projects by 2010
http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Railways+to+complete+projects+by+2010&artid=c7IK/EzxxmQ=&SectionID=b7ziAYMenjw=&MainSectionID=b7ziAYMenjw=&SectionName=pWehHe7IsSU=&SEO=
09 Sep 2009 10:53:38 AM IST
LUMDING: Hit by insurgency and paucity of funds over the years, the Railways now
plans to complete a series of projects, in particular gauge conversion, in South
Assam by 2012, ostensibly after some tough talking by the Centre.
The work, notably conversion of MG track into BG on Lumding-Silchar route,
remained stalled for months together in the wake of increased attacks on
labourers by tribal Dimasa militant group DHD (Black Widow).
Briefing the media after a review meeting with officials of the Railways here on
Tuesday, Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region B K Handique
declared that the gauge conversion work would be completed by 2012. Concerned
over the delay, the PMO said to have asked him to monitor the project.
“Earlier, the Railways faced a lot of difficulties such as inadequate
financial allocation and insurgency. So, the work could not be expedited. But
there is a marked improvement in the situation now after the Centre declared it
as a national project in 2005,” Handique said.
“From now on there won’t be any problem. A lot of money is being given and
so we hope to complete it by 2012,” the Union Minister for Development of
North Eastern Region said. He denied allegation that a strong motor lobby was
behind stalling the project.
Once completed, the project will benefit the people of Assam’s Barak Valley as
well as those in Mizoram, Tripura and Manipur. But progress of the project
hinges on the kind of security given to the Railways for execution of work.
Initially, the Railways pegged the estimated cost of the project at Rs 1,781
crore which has now been revised at Rs 4,073 crore.
GM (Construction) Shiv Kumar said the North Frontier Railway spent Rs 1,781
crore so far on the project.
Citing funds crunch as the cause
of delay in completion of the work, he said the North Frontier Railway
received a token money of only Rs 6 lakh when the project was sanctioned in
1996-97.
“In the first 10 years, we received only Rs 330 crore. But in the next 3
years, we received over Rs 1,400 crore.”
With the kind of money being
allocated now, Shiv Kumar expressed optimism that the remaining work could be
completed by 2012.
In subsequent phases in this part of the North-East, the Railways will construct
the Jiribam-Tupul and Kumarghat-Agartala lines.
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