Title - Broad Gauge Rail Link in Tripura by December 2013

The Broad Gauge (BG) conversion work in between Lumding to Badarpur which got underway, is expected to be completed by December 2013, the Assembly was informed here. Replying to a notice, Transport Minister said, the 398 km Lumding-Agartala rail link remained Meter Gauge (MG) for long time. After hectic persuasions, the Centre had sanctioned the project way back in 1996-97 and later in the year 2004, the BG project got national project status.

Despite initial set back, the BG project has got momentum, Dey said adding that the estimated cost of the project was at Rs. 648 crore. Later, the estimated cost of the project was revised at 4253.37 crore and out of which Rs. 3173.49 has so far been spent. Dey said, the ongoing work has been suffering due to different reasons that include shortage of equipment and poor connectivity, severe crisis of potential contractors willing to work at hill stations and most importantly tardy pace of tunnel construction work at NC Hill due to natural causes.

Dey while quoting the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) sources claimed that in spite of difficult situation, around 75 percent BG works has been completed so far. “The ambitious BG project is expected to get over by December 2013”, he said. The Minister said, in first phase laying of railway track from Agartala to Udaipur (44 km) is in full swing. In the mean time 80 per cent work of the project completed.

However, the construction work of railway line remains stalled suspends Bishalgarh are due to objection from people centering land acquisition. The project work could not be completed within January, 2013 according to the target if construction could not be started in the disputed area he said.

In the second phase, rail track will be laid from Udaipur to Sabroom. The Agartala-Udaipur rail link is expected to be completed by March 2014. Dey further said the state government has been holding review meeting with the NFR to expedite rail work in the state. The notice was moved by treasury bench members Monoranjan Acharjee, Manindra Ch. Das and Rita Kar (Majumder) on Tuesday.