Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has written a letter to Union Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain to immediately link the world’s largest river island Majuli and Barpeta to rail network.
“Linking Majuli and Barpeta, the epicentres of Vaishnavite culture, to railways has been a priority of the present state government ever since it came to power.
“It may be noted that the flow of tourists, both domestic and international, to Majuli and Barpeta has been hit hard as these areas are not connected to railways,” an official release quoted excerpts of the letter as saying.
Moreover, researches undertaken by several scholars are also suffering because of connectivity issues, it said.
Considering the communication bottleneck, Sonowal has requested Rajen Gohian to ensure undertaking a survey work and immediately execute a project to bring Majuli and Barpeta into railway map, the statement said. He had requested Gohain to lay railway lines connecting Sorbhog-Abhyapuri, Barpeta Satra-Sarthebari Na Satra-Hajo for linking Barpeta and Gogamukh-Dhakuakhana (Sadar)-Kamalabari-Garmur for linking Majuli on a priority basis.
The CM stressed that putting these towns on railway map and starting a survey work on war footing would benefit the people. (PTI)