From C K Nayak
NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha MP from Meghalaya, Wansuk Syiem, has slammed the Centre for its alleged step motherly attitude towards the Hill State which only had a “symbolic rail line”.
Initiating the discussion on Railway Budget in the Upper House on Monday, Syiem came down heavily on the Centre stating that the Railway Ministry has not taken up any major project in the North East including Meghalaya.
“The government suddenly woke up to rail projects in Assam just before the Assembly polls were announced. Similarly, only in Arunachal Pradesh, Naharlagun was connected by rail network,” Syiem said making an oblique reference to the dismissal of Congress government by the NDA in Arunachal.
“In case of Meghalaya, its industrial hub, Byrnihat should be linked with rail line from Guwahati,” she demanded.
She also called for speeding up of railway work between New Jalpaiguri and New Bongaigoan to ensure faster movement of trains besides demanding for additional trains for the region during summer vacation and festivals like Christmas.
In his reply, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu said that in the coming years, entire rail network in North East will be shifted to broad gauge.
“Railways is expected to provide services like concessional travel, meet social objectives like a government enterprise and perform like a commercial company,” Prabhu said adding that Railways, is trying to meet these diverse expectations even as he mentioned seven missions including the ‘mission to have zero accidents’, ‘mission on Speed’ and ‘mission on accounting reform’ etc.
He was replying to a debate on the Railways Appropriation Bill which was later approved by the Upper House.
Meanwhile, Syiem also accused the NDA Government of abandoning most of the major rail projects proposed during the UPA regime.