Bogibeel declared National Project
>From Kalyan Barooah
NEW DELHI, Feb 26 The Bogibeel rail-cum-road bridge over Brahmaputra along
with three other vital Rail projects under the North-east Frontier Railways
were declared as National Projects. The announcement, however, came in a
roundabout way, with Railway Minister Lalu Prasad thanking Prime Minister Dr
Manmohan Singh for declaring the three projects as national projects in his
Railway Budget address. I express my gratitude to the Prime Minister for
declaring the construction of these projects as National Projects, the
Railway Minister said.
The other two projects include the Rangiya-Murkongselek gauge conversion
project and Azra-Byrnihat and Dimapur-Kohima new line projects.
Upgradation of status of the ongoing projects was among a few other
announcements pertaining to the region. A significant announcement was to bring
the Northeast on electric rail map of the country. Electrification of the
Katihar-Guwahati section has been proposed in the first phase. However, no new
train was proposed to be started from the Northeast, though a Garib Rath
between Kolkata and Guwahati is proposed to be operated twice a week. The
operation of the Saraighat Express between Howrah and Guwahati is proposed to
from five days a week to daily service. Moreover, Meghalaya and Kohima would
come on the rail map of the country.
The status of national project would mean end of funding problems as these
projects would be financed directly out of the Consolidated Fund of India,
Union Heavy Industries and Public Enterprise Minister, Santosh Mohan Dev told
this newspaper.
The Railways are executing the ongoing national projects in Jammu and Kashmir
and the Northeast in all earnestness, Lalu Prasad earlier said in his Railway
Budget speech.
Lalu Prasad said his ministry has sought an additional Rs 2,725 crore from the
Finance Ministry for the national projects in Northeast and Jammu and Kashmir.
The projects include Jiribam-Imphal Road (Tupul) and Kumarghat-Agartala new
line and Lumding-Silchar-jiribum gauge conversion projects.
With this, the Northeat can boast of having the highest number of eight
national projects. The Bogibeel project is estimated to cost Rs 1,767 crore,
while the Rangiya-Murkongselek gauge conversion project is estimated at Rs
915.70 crore
The Bogibeel Bridge had run into rough weather following a hue-and-cry raised
by environment groups and a section of Satradhikars, who expressed apprehension
over the impact of the mega-bridge on Majuli river island.
The NE MPs gave full credit to the Prime Minister for his initiative and the
Railway Minister. Just 15 days back a delegation of MPs of the region had met
the Prime Minister with their wish list.
The charter of demands included a demand for electrification of
Katihar-Dibrugarh section, besides status of ongoing national mega projects.
Electrification of the Northeast Frontier Railway has been a long pending
demand. The electrified network will be extended over the Golden Quadrilateral
and its diagonals, and in all directions from Kashmir to Kanyakumari and
Guwahati to Amritsar by the end of the 11th Five Year Plan, the Minister said.
As for the safety measures, the Minister said according to Railways Corporate
Safety Plan, the testing of anti-collision device on the Northeast Frontier
Railway is in its last phase and is likely to be completed by March. The
Railway Minister further announced the clearance of New Guwahati-Digaru
project.
In his own style, Lalu Prasad also claimed that setting up of a new electric
loco works at Madhepura in Bihar at a cost of Rs 1,300 crore would help in all
round development of the backward areas of the north-eastern region and North
Bihar.
Meanwhile, Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) today boycotted the Railway Budget in
keeping with broad understanding with Samajwadi Party and Telegu Desam Party
(TDP). Though both the AGP MPs, Dr Arun Kumar Sarma and Sarbananda Sonowal were
present they walked out soon after Lalu Prasad started his Budget speech.
Later Dr Sarma said they were satisfied with the declaration of the Bogibeel
and other projects as national projects. A few of our demands have been met
after years of struggle, he said.
Reacting to the Budget, Khiren Rijiju of BJP said they were still waiting for
Arunachal Pradesh to find a place on the railway map of the country. We are
not demanding mega project costing Rs 40,000 crore like Beijing-Lhasa rail
link, but a small toy train connecting the tourist destinations would have
done. He said they are going to demand an overnight super fast train between
New Delhi and Guwahati without any stoppages in UP and Bihar.
Kirip Chaliha of the Congress party described the Railway Budget as extremely
popular with due importance to the Aam Aadmi. Welcoming the proposal to
electrify a portion of the NF Railway, he said some initiatives have been
taken, but there is more that needs to be done.
Rajya Sabha MP Dwijendra Sarma while reacting to the Budget said poor people
have benefited. He said an old demand for electrification has been met.
However, Northeast and Asom need more attention, he said.
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