Bogibeel works from Nov
>From Ron Duarah
DIBRUGARH, July 10 All the pessimism about the Rs 2,200-crore Bogibeel
bridge project has been laid to rest today with the Union Minister of State for
Railways Ramasamy Velu and Member (Engineering) of the Railway Board SK Vij
assuring that the delayed sub-structure works should commence by November this
year. These assurances were given to the two AGP MPs, Dr Arun Kumar Sarma and
Sarbananda Sonowal by the Railway Minister and the Railway Board official at a
meeting in New Delhi today.
Speaking to The Assam Tribune, Dr Sarma said Vij has assured that the
re-tendering process of the Bogibeel bridge sub structure would be completed by
October this year and that work should commence by November. The Railway
minister, Velu added that funds for the Bogibeel bridge would not be a
constraint, as it has been declared a national project.
The Railway Board Member (Engineering) attributed the delay in the Rs 322 crore
sub structure work to cost escalation as well as increase in VAT (value added
tax) and sales tax, imposed by the Assam government. He said he would visit
Bogibeel within this month for on-site inspection of work.
Meanwhile, the Murkong Selek Rangiya section of the NF Railway would be
converted to Broad Gauge on a speedy basis, Vij informed Dr Sarma and Sonowal.
An amount of Rs 25 crore has been allocated for final survey of the conversion,
and is to be spent within March 2008.
Both Dr Sarma and Sonowal bitterly complained before Velu that infrastructure
development projects in the northeast are always delayed on some pretext or the
other, and demanded a change in this lackadaisical attitude of the Centre
towards the region. To this, Velu assured that all obstacles would be removed
and that the Centre is keen to see the scheduled completion of the Bogibeel
project and its ancillary works, like the Rangiya Murkong Selek gauge
conversion.
(The Assam Tribune,11.07.2007)
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