SHILLONG: The Northeast Frontier Railways (NFR) will have to issue fresh tender to select a contractor for the Byrnihat-Tetelia railway project once it gets a go-ahead from the state government, sources have said.
“Until we get a green signal we cannot resume the project,” the source said, adding that the work is progressing well in Assam.
The work on the proposed 21-km Tetelia-Byrnihat railway line was stopped two years ago after violent protests by local pressure groups which were against the railway connectivity as they feared influx of migrants. Also, the KHADC had refused to issue NOC.
Around 2 km of the proposed railway line falls under Meghalaya.
The sources said NFR is hopeful of getting permission from the government once “some mechanism” is in place to check influx as demanded by the NGOs.
NFR has maintained that railways will be of great benefit for landlocked Meghalaya. It is hopeful that one day, railways will be welcomed in Meghalaya after the NFR takes up all the confidence building measures.
