GUWAHATI: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday had a comprehensive deliberation with Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in New Delhi to improve railway connectivity in Assam and explore the possibility of establishing rail manufacturing entities in the state.
The chief minister said the union minister also considered the request to start direct train connectivity between Kamakhya and Ayodhya for the benefit of devotees.
Taking to his X handle CM Sarma said, “We brought to the notice of the Railway Ministry to examine the possibility of commencing trains between Assam’s Barak Valley and West Bengal via Bangladesh. I have been assured this will be looked into on a priority basis.”
He also complimented the union minister on his efforts to enhance the allocation for rail connectivity in Assam in the Union Budget 2024.
Notably, in the Union Budget 2024-25, the Northeastern states have been allocated Rs 10,376 crore to boost rail infra in the region.
“This thrust on all-around connectivity will further amplify our developmental journey,” he said.
To boost the railway network in the Northeast, 1,573-km of tracks are targeted to be electrified during 2024-25, which will complete the electrification of all NE states. Rs 694.69 crore has been allocated for electrification works under NF Railway in the Union Budget.
The Amrit Bharat Stations Scheme will see the redevelopment of 60 N.F. Railway stations with world-class facilities, including 50 in Assam, 4 in Tripura, and one each in Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, and Sikkim, the railway minister stated.
The chief minister also met Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari and apprised him of the status of several ongoing infrastructure projects in Assam.
“The union minister has agreed to personally monitor the status of the Jorhat – Dibrugarh section of the National Highway, part of which will be completed this year,” Sarma said.
The discussion also covered status of the projects under the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), National Highways and Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited (NHIDC), and other central road projects in the state.
“Modalities to ensure the timely completion of our key flagship projects, including the Kaziranga Elevated Corridor, the underwater tunnel between Gohpur and Numaligarh, and the Guwahati Ring Road, were also deliberated in detail,” he said.
Besides, CM Himanta Biswa Sarma also met Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan in the national capital.
“We discussed in detail on Goverment of India’s support for Assam under PM-USHA, a central scheme to finance state institutions. The minister was kind enough to positively consider measures to strengthen capacity of our Teacher Training Institute. We also had a detailed discussion on means to augment technical education in Assam,” the chief minister said.
