Tuesday, December 9, 2008

India connects to the North East

It does sound weird, but the North Eastern States of Nagaland, Manipur and Tripura have received the Cabinet Committee on Economic affairs' approval for the proposal of the Manipur Government to extend the broad gauge 27- km line from Tupur to Imphal thus providing the direct rail connection of the State capital with the rest of the Country.... 60 years after India became independent.

It has been a longstanding demand of the northeastern state to connect its capital with the rest of the country through a railway line to end the transportation bottleneck. On the request of the Government, the survey of the line was again done so as to connect Imphal directly by railway line.

The proposed new broad gauge line will be providing rail connectivity up to Imphal as well as make possible direct movement of freight and passengers from this region to other parts of the country. The increased expenditure of the extension proposal is estimated to cost Rs 2,650 crores.

In the North Eastern Region, rail connectivity had been intensified recently after the Centre had taken up many rail projects as a National Project. Recently Agartala, the State Capital of Tripura had been connected with the railway line with the rest of the country. Tripura’s State capital Agartala on October 5 this year became the second Northeastern capital town, after Guwahati, included in the railway map with regular train service beginning between the State and other parts of the country. The survey for construction of the railway line from Dimapur to Kohima, the State capital of Nagaland is being taken up as a National Project with the process of laying of 125-km long railway line between Dimapur and Kohima began from November 25 this year.

Do we need anything else to show the utter disregard of all our governments at the Centre for the past 60 years towards the North Eastern States? It is time we bring ourselves together and end any step motherly attitude to any State, Province, Region or People.

Well, atleast now than never!!

1 comment:

Balaji S Rajan said...

This is a news for me. Valid point and suggestion. In India, if we do not have proper representative our constituency will not have any development. I am glad atleast after 60 years the North East is connected now. I appreciate your thought.