Union Minister for Railways lays foundation stone of Dhansiri-Zubza BG line; targets 2019
Morung Express News
Dimapur | August 1
Union Minister for Railways, Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu, today assured the people of Nagaland that the Dhansiri-Zubza Broad Gauge (BG) railway line would be completed by 2019, a year ahead of the scheduled target.
Laying the foundation stone of the 90.5km BG line connecting Dhansiri-Zubza here at Dimapur Railway Station, the Railway Minister said the NDA Government led by Prime Minister, as per the ‘Act East policy’ is committed to transforming the North East Region into one of the most developed regions in the country, in terms of economy as well as connectivity.
Towards this end, Prabhu said the NDA government has given directives that all pending and ongoing projects in the NE Region should be completed ahead of the scheduled time so that the Region can catch up with the rest of the country.
On the 90.5km Dhansiri-Zubza railway line, the minister said the Railways will be using the latest technology to ensure that the project is completed ahead of the scheduled time. Prabhu also said the architecture and design of the new railway station would be based on the rich culture and ethos of the Naga people.
The Union Railway Minister said the NDA government had in the past two years increased two-fold the Railway budget allocation for NE Region to Rs 5,700 crore and further informed the Indian Railways would be allocating Rs 35,000-40,000 crore in the next five years. With such huge investment, the NER can look forward to being one of the fastest growing regions in the country in terms of economy, development and connectivity, he said.
Prabhu also reminded that the huge investment of the Indian Railways in NER is not just to “spend money” or creating better connectivity between distant geographies but more importantly to bridge the emotional divide between NE people and the mainland.
“More than geography, it’s about bringing together different aspirations of the people and to connect the capital of Nagaland to Delhi,” Prabhu said.
The Union Minister also informed that the Railways was keen to promote the handicraft and products of NE and towards this end, Prabhu said the Railways was mulling to open a skill development centre in Dimapur in partnership with the state government. He also assured that the IRCTC, one of the most visited website portals, would display local handicraft to help local weavers and artisans to sell their produce to outside market.
Nagaland Chief Minister, TR Zeliang, in his address said the event was a red-letter day for Nagaland state as so far the state has only 8 km railway line. Sides by side with the Dhansiri-Zubza rail project, Zeliang also appealed to the Union Railway Minister to speed up the 257 km Dimapur-Tizit railway line project (Rs 4274 crore).
The Chief Minister also requested Prabhu to revive the abandoned 124 km Dhansiri-Karong (Senapati district, Manipur).
Nagaland Governor PB Acharya regretted that despite abundance of natural beauty and resources, the state does not have proper connectivity.
Harping on the potentials of handloom, handicraft, agriculture and horticulture, Acharya said connectivity could bring vibrancy to the economy of the state.
Minister of State for Railways, Rajen Gogain informed that with the enhanced budgetary allocation for railway connectivity in the NE, the region would definitely get a boost in the tourism sector. Others who spoke on the occasion include Member, Engineering Railway Board, AK Mittal, and General Manager, NF Railway, Chahatey Ram.
MCD wants train service from
Dibrugarh-Agartala via Dimapur
Muslim Council Dimapur (MCD) on Monday reiterated its earlier appeal for introduction of an Inter-State train service from Dibrugarh (Assam) to Agartala (Tripura) via Dimapur, Nagaland.
In a memorandum addressed to the Union Minister of Railways, Suresh Prabhu, MCD working president A Rahman said a large population from Barak Valley and the state of Tripura resides in upper Assam, Nagaland and Manipur, but there is no direct train service from these mentioned places. All trains introduced so far have been diverted from Lumding towards Guwahati, Rehman pointed out.
In this connection, the MCD has urged the Union Minister to take up on their request on priority basis to lessen the inconveniences faced by the passengers of the concerned areas.
