From CK Nayak
New Delhi: The Centre on Thursday earmarked Rs 600 crore for development of railway network in the North East and decided to set up an empowered group to ensure speedy upgradation of overall infrastructure in the region.
The government approved an additional Rs.400 crore to complete three rail projects in the region before March 2014.
The three critical rail projects are the Harmati-Naharlagun project to provide the first rail connectivity to Arunachal Pradesh; the Dudhnoi-Mendipathar project to connect Meghalaya; and the Rangapura-North Lakhimpur gauge conversion project.
The Railways ministry has committed that the first trial runs will begin on these lines in January 2014.
The Finance Ministry will also provide upto Rs.200 crore for two more projects — the Lunching-Slichar gauge conversion and the Bogibeel bridge, said an official release here.
The Prime Minister directed the Planning Commission to call a meeting of all the Chief Ministers of the Northeastern states to improve inter-state coordination for speedy completion of the infrastructure projects.
The Finance Minister P Chidambram will head the EGOM with Union Ministers for Home, Road Transport, Civil Aviation and DoNER as Members. A committee of the Secretaries headed by none less than Cabinet Secretary has also been formed to implement the projects, official sources said.
“This step will help clearing the last minute hurdles for many projects which are in advanced stage of completion,” Meghalaya Chief Minister Dr Mukul Sangma told The Shillong Times after the announcement.
Some of the projects like Dudhnoi-Mendipathar are almost ready but need some allocation for the finishing touches and actual implementation, he added.
The region will see a flurry of activities with the Union Minister for Road Transport Oscar Fernandez visiting the region to oversee the road network early next month.
These decisions were taken at a review meeting to take stock of infrastructure development in the Northeast. The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and attended by the finance minister, civil aviation minister, railway minister, minister for road transport and highways, telecom minister, minister for power, the minister for DONER and the deputy chairman of the Planning Commission.