AGARTALA, Sept 3 � Virtually expressing dismay over Broad Gauge (BG) conversion plan, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar has said the State Government would press for undertaking BG conversion work from Lumding to Agartala via Silchar at a time.
During a meeting with NFR and FCI officials here on Tuesday, the Chief Minister said Tripura, geographically isolated State has been demanding for BG since a long time and the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had to declare it a national project following pressure from the State.
�Unfortunately, the BG conversion work has not been begun yet on Lumding-Silchar-Agartala route. Tripura will face trouble to bring essential commodities after suspension of rail service due to BG conversion work from October 1. We want the NFR to undertake mega block laying work from Lumding to Silchar and Silchar to Agartala at a time�, he told the the meeting.
Referring to resource problem of the NFR, Sarkar said the Railways could engage extra manpower from outside the region to augment the infrastructural and other logistic shortcomings.
�If situation arises, I will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi so that BG conversion work on the Lumding- Silchar and Silchar-Agartala routes could start simultaneously�, he said. Sarkar added that the Centre should take proper care of the Northeastern region which has so far been neglected by the successive governments in Delhi.
Earlier, RS Virdhi, General Manager of NFR (Open Line) briefed Chief Minister, Transport Minister Manik Dey and Food and Civil Supplies Minister Bhanu Lal Saha about the BG conversion plan.
The BG conversion from Lumding to Silchar (120 km), which is scheduled to be started from October 1 is expected to get completed by March 2015 while the second phase of BG conversion work from Silchar to Agartala will kick start on October 2015 and will be ending on March 2016.
The rail service upto Agartala will remain suspended from October 1 next due to undertaking of BG conversion work from Lumding to Silchar as declared by the NFR authority. General Manager (Construction), NFR, Rajeskh Kumar Singh and FCI Executive Director P Basumatari also attended the meeting.
