Centre to invest more time, energy, finance in NE: Prabhu

Northeastern states, especially Mizoram, required better infrastructure and the Centre would invest more time, energy and finance towards it, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu said today.
"Being the most peaceful state in the country, Mizoram has all the recipe for development, including peace and human capital," Prabhu said while laying the foundation stone of the proposed Railway station at Sairang, about 20 km from here.
Pointing out that rail connectivity would be one of the most important infrastructure development, the minister said, basic concepts of developments should be initiated by the local people and any infrastructural development should involve and benefit the local populace.

The minister was addressing a function held at the Suaka Cricket Stadium at Sairang.
Bamboo resources in the state should be exploited by creation of value addition for which rail connectivity would play an important role in social transformation, he added.
The function was attended by Mizoram Governor Lt Gen (retd) Nirbhay Sharma, Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla, Union Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain, state Transport Minister John Rotluangliana and Local Administration Minister P C Lalthanliana.

The Bairabi-Sairang new Broad Gauge line project is a part of the railways' vision to connect all the capitals of the Northeast states through broad gauge line by 2020, the Railway Minister said.

The new 50.38 km line originates from Mizoram-Assam border Bairabi town and terminates at the proposed Sairang station, about 12 km from the lone Lengpui airport.
The broad gauge railway would have 23 tunnels (the longest being 1,766 metres), 38 major bridges and six tall bridges (the tallest being 117 metres) and four stations.
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The Railway Minister told a press conference in Aizawl
that export of bamboo products and handicraft from the region to the rest of the country would be given priority, while North East Integrated Tourism Development Programme would boost tourism in the area.
The Ministry of Railways has already conducted a survey to connect southernmost Mizoram's Hmawngbuchhuah area near Myanmar border.

This was being done for establishing a link with the road constructed under the Kaladan Multi Modal Transport Project linking Sittwe port in Myanmar.
This would make Mizoram the gateway to Asian countries.
Northeast Frontier Railway officials said land acquisition for the ongoing construction of broad gauge line between Bairabi and Sairang has been almost completed except for additional land acquisition of about 40 hectares.
The broad gauge train service between Bairabi and Sairang would include both freight and passenger trains, they said.