The industry association and economists of the North-East region have welcomed the outlay of Rs. 5,116 crore in the Railway Budget for pending railway projects in the northeast region and hoped that it would expedite the projects, which they said were of paramount importance.
Presenting the railway budget in Parliament on Tuesday, Railway Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda said that of the pending 23 projects in the Northeast region, 11 are national projects. He also announced seven new trains in the region.
The Federation of Industries and Commerce of North Eastern Region (FINER) has commended the “Railway Minister for coming out with a strong action plan to complete pending projects, including projects of national status in the North-Eastern region in a time-bound manner by a quantum jump in budgetary outlay for these projects.”
“We at FINER are happy that the Railway Minister has addressed one of our demands, which was at the top of our memorandum, to come out with a strong action plan to complete pending projects including projects of national status in the region by a quantum jump in the budgetary outlay for these projects. As the intent of the budget is very clear, that Indian railway wish to reach the last mile of nation’s territory, we the people of North-East can take solace from this commitment for the time being,” stated FINER Chairman R.S. Joshi in a statement.
“What people will now be watching eagerly is implementation of all these big ideas with missionary zeal,” he added.
Noted economist and executive director of Rashtriya Gramin Vikash Nidhi (RGVN), Amiya Sarma said the budgetary allocation of Rs 5,116 crore for the pending railway projects in the region was a welcome announcement by the Railway Minister as it would help expediting the projects. “The budgetary outlay for the North-East is a 54 per cent jump over allocations in the previous year. What we need to focus now is on completion of these projects on time or before time to reap the desired benefits for the people of region,” added Dr Sarma.
Welcoming the budgetary outlay, Assam Industries and Commerce Minister Pradyut Bordoloi called for expediting the pending projects, such as the Bogibeel rail-cum-road bridge over river Brahmaputra, about 17 km off upper Assam town Dibrugarh. He said that the target dates for completion of Bogibeel project had been revised thrice in the past and new target is to complete within the current year.
Mr Bordoloi hoped that the work on the project would be expedited with the budgetary support to achieve the target date. He also stressed the need for improving railway network in the State by laying broad gauge double tracks connecting Ledo in upper Assam and also along Barak valley.
However, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), however, accused the Bharatiya Janata Party(BJP)-led government at the Centre of discrimination towards Assam and the North-East region. AGP Working President Atul Bora alleged that by limiting the budget announcements primarily to projects of the previous Congress-led government, the new government had only shattered the hopes of the people of the region for expansion of railway service in the region. The budget betrayed the people of Assam by ignoring the long-pending demands for laying double tracks, more new trains and ensuring employment of indigenous youth of the region in the railways.
