Title - Tripura CM urges Kharge to push rail projects

AGARTALA – Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar has urged Union Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharge to provide required funds and closely monitor the progress of Lumding-Silchar section broadgauge conversion works to ensure its speedy completion.
Sarkar who met the Union Minister at Rail Bhavan in Delhi on Thursday informed him that the BG conversion work was sanctioned way back in 1996-97 FY. However, there has been an inordinate delay in execution of the work and target dates have been postponed from time to time.

The memorandum placed before Kharge mentioned the latest target date is March, 2015, but one major issue of concern is the inadequacy of fund. As against the requirement of Rs 777 crore during the current FY, the Railway Ministry has allocated only Rs 380 crore for gauge conversion work. Additional fund to the tune of Rs 397 crore needs to be allocated during the current fiscal to maintain the pace of work.

“Being a national project, the Ministry of Railways should provide the required fund and closely monitor the progress of the project to ensure completion of the project in a timebound manner”, he told the Union Minister.

In the memorandum, the Chief Minister also stated the pace of implementation of Agartala-Sabroom railway project has also slowed down due to inadequate allocation of fund. “For instance, during the current FY Rs 140 crore only has been sanctioned while it requires Rs 483 crore. Additional fund of Rs 343 crore is required to be allocated during the period”, he said.

Sarkar also mentioned the status of the proposed Agartala-Akhaura rail route. He said, “The alignment for railway link between Agartala-Akhaura was finalised, DPR was prepared and the project was sanctioned during 2012-13 FY. The MOU was signed between India and Bangladesh Governments on February 16, 2013”, he said. Sarkar said the Ministry of Railways is to award the project to IRCON for implementation and the same be done expeditiously.