NEW DELHI, March 16 - Cutting across political affiliations, the MPs belonging to the North East have demanded development of the rail infrastructure in the region and fast-tracking of the rail projects delayed for years.
Participating in the demands for grants for Railways in the Lok Sabha, Ramen Deka of the BJP said that his constituency falls in Darrang district and it is not yet connected with the railways. �Rangiya and Tezpur are very old stations, so they should be declared as heritage stations. More rails should be introduced between Lumding and Agartala. I demand stoppage of all south-bound and Delhi-bound trains at district headquarters of Nalbari. I would also like to request the Minister to introduce a train from Rangiya to Dekargaon connecting all stations with stoppage of all passenger trains so that people get connectivity to reach Tezpur,� he said.
BJP�s Radheshyam Biswas urged the Minister of Railways to assure us that he would expedite the work for completion of the Bogibeel bridge, Rangiya-Murkongselek broad gauge conversion, Dudhnoi-Mendipathar new line, broad gauge line from new Moinaguri to Jogighopa and Dullabchera to Cherragi under NF Railway. He further urged the Minister to declare Badarpur as a Railway Division, which is a long-pending demand.
He also urged Minister to introduce more trains for NE, like a Rajdhani Express from Agartala to New Delhi, and trains between Dhubri and Guwahati, Bhoirabi and Guwahati, and Bhoirabi and Tinsukia.
Joining the discussion, Kamakhya Prasad Tasa of the BJP said the Railway Budget claimed 37 projects have been provided for NE and work is going on. He said the works on Sivasagar-Jorhat, Salna-Khumtai, Tezpur-Silgar, Saraighat bridge and Kamakhya-New Guwahati lines should be completed at the earliest. Upgradation of stations is also needed, he said.
There are 20 major railway projects including 13 projects for new lines, two for gauge conversion and five for doubling of lines in this area. It will be good if these projects are completed without delay, Tasa pointed out.
