By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma on Thursday hoped that the State will have many railway projects completed during the 12th Five-Year Plan.
However, considering the objections from Khasi Hills-based NGOs, the dream of Dr Sangma may not materialise.
While addressing the 57th National Development Council (NDC) meeting held at New Delhi, Chief Minister said that Meghalaya hopes to get its first railway line by March next year.
The Chief Minister was referring to the Mendipathar rail line which, however, is welcomed by the people of Garo Hills.
It was on September 8 last that Dr Sangma had laid the foundation stone to construct a railway station at Mendipathar to pave way for easy transportation of goods.
The East Garo Hills administration had handed over 65.09 hectares of land to NF Railways to start the project in September 2011.
The sanctioned cost of the landmark railway project was Rs. 86.22 crore, but the revised cost could be approximately Rs. 144 crore.
Moreover, Dr Sangma also urged the Centre to come out with specific programmes for the North East to increase rural tele-density to 70 per cent and also providing banking access to 90 percent of the populace.
He said the basic infrastructure such as communication, power, and others to the existing land custom stations in the region is urgently required as this will provide an impetus to trade between our country and Bhutan, Bangladesh and Myanmar.
“The opening of border haats has brought about renewed hope and has greatly improved the economy of the people residing along the Indo-Bangladesh border. We hope that more such border haats will be opened so that trade can flourish as it used to in the earlier times,” he added.