RailEnquiry

IMPHAL: A team of the estimate committee of Parliament comprising 12 MPs landed in Imphal on Sunday to study the progress of the ongoing Jiribam-Imphal rail project and the development of the textile industry in the state.Led by Francisco Sardinha, the team will acquire a detailed report from the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) on planning, implementation and performance of the rail project.Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had in November 2004 laid the foundation stone of the rail project connecting Manipur's Jiribam subdivision bordering Assam and Tupul in Tamenglong district.Later, the project was extended to Imphal and there is a plan to further extend it up to Moreh to connect the region with Myanmar and other Southeast Asian countries.During a plenary session of the North Eastern Council (NEC) held recently in New Delhi, chief minister Okram Ibobi Singh urged the railway authorities to deploy more manpower and equipment and take early steps to ensure completion of the Jiribam-Tupul-Imphal railway by 2017. Earlier, the completion target was extended from 2016 to 2017.

Construction of the rail line, which has been declared a national project, has been delayed owing to frequent agitations by tribals in the hills. Various tribal, civil and student organizations belonging to different communities have been banning central projects, including the rail line in Tamenglong district, off and on for the last few years in pursuit of their demands.

Before wrapping up its two-day visit, the parliamentary team will hold a meeting with officials of the NFR and the Manipur transport and forest departments on Monday to obtain the progress report on the rail project, official sources said.

At present, tunneling work is going on between Jiribam subdivision bordering Assam and Dolakhal, with various firms being engaged in the task, the sources said.

The parliamentary team will also hold a discussion with officials of the textile ministry on promotion of the textile industry in the state.