SHILLONG: Come April and people of Garo Hills can transport their goods at a much cheaper price in the Indian Railways since the ongoing Dudhnoi-Mendipathar railway project is set to be commissioned in March this year.
North Garo Hills Deputy Commissioner W Khyllep informed that the work is in full swing and the project would be completed in March this year.
He said that now the work is in its final stages and by April railways would finally make its debut in Garo Hills. The project has been delayed by a year thanks to the age old problem of land acquisition in Meghalaya.
The Centre recently approved an additional amount of Rs.400 crore to complete three rail projects in Northeastern region including Dudhnoi-Mendipathar project before March 2014.
The sanctioned cost of the project was Rs 86.22 crore, but the revised cost could touch Rs 144 crore, adding the land required for the project was handed over to the railways long time back.
It may be mentioned that 65.09 hectares of land was handed over to NF Railways for the project in September 2011 for timely completion of the project.
The areas which will be covered by the railway line are Nolbari-Deuripara, Boromiapara, Chotomiapara , Mataranga, Manikganj, Horingkata, Bakenang-Tilapara and Mendipathar.
Once completed, the long-cherished dream of having a rail link connecting Meghalaya with the rest of the country would finally set come true the plans to connect the Khasi Hills with railway has been vehemently opposed by the pressure groups fearing large scale influx of outsiders into the state.