AGARTALA, Aug 18 - IRCON International Ltd�s director (works) Jogesh Mishra is arriving here to attend a top-level meeting on Indo-Bangla railway link convened by Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb here on Monday.
The revised plan for Indo-Bangla railway link will be the main agenda in the meeting to be held at the Civil Secretariat. Top State Government officials will also attend the meeting.
A discussion on the Indo-Bangla railway connectivity was already taken place wherein it was revealed that IRCON International Ltd decided to convert the 15-km railway link in two phases.
The first phase - from Gangasagar railway station (Bangladesh) to Nishchintapur � will be completed by December 2020 to operationalise the strategic railway connectivity. As per the plan, Bangladesh train will touch Nishchintapur railway yard (on the Indian side) for passengers but it will not go beyond the yard.
The second phase - from Nishchintapur to Agartala railway station � will be completed in December 2021. �Since phase II is complicated because of the elevated corridor, it will be deferred for completion by a year. Besides, the construction work has not made much progress due to the heavy monsoon,� explained a railway official here today.�
�But works on both sides will continue simultaneously to expedite the project,� he said, adding that IRCON�s chairman would be visiting the State very shortly to take a final call on the revised plan.
The State Government has been tasked with coordinating with various Central ministries in the implementation of Rs 972-crore rail connectivity project between Akhaura and Agartala.
The 15-km rail link, financed by the Ministry of Development of North-Eastern Region and implemented by the Railways ministry (monitored by the External Affairs ministry), promises to be a vital link for passengers and cargo movement between the two countries.
