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After suffering from scarcity of funds and challenging law and order situation for about two decades, India Railways' expansion in the North East is finally gaining some momentum. Three out of the five key railway projects, identified by the Prime Minister’s office as ‘critical’ for the North East, near their completion.
The ones nearing completion include the first rail connectivity to Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh along with crucial gauge conversion between Rangpara to North Lakhimpur, which will connect Arunachal Pradesh to the rest of the country. The three projects cost a total of more than Rs 3,000 crore.
“Our deadlines for the first rail connectivity to Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh are set at March 2014, and we will achieve it this time," said a Railway Board official.
Dudhnoi-Mendhipathar, a 20 km line in Meghalaya in the Garo hills, will cost about Rs 180 crore. Announced in the budget of 1992-93, the line has faced delay of over two decades.
“We faced severe law and order problems. Railway officials had been kidnapped in the past. Locals resisted fearing that with rail connectivity, illegal immigrants would settle here. Things have improved, but we have to be careful,” said a senior official at North East Frontier Railway.
Officials also said the work on ground was in full swing. Land acquisition for the line was complete. Three major bridges on the line have also been completed along with 50 minor bridges needed on the hilly terrain. “It’s a tough terrain that we are working on,” said another official closely linked with the project.
Harmati-Naharlagun, another 20 km line in Arunachal Pradesh, announced way back in 1996-97, would cost railways about Rs 407 crore. The line would also have its first run in March 2014. It was identified as a line crucial to the national security in the last Railway budget because of the presence of Chinese Railway on the state borders.
“There are some high power lines crossing the Railway alignment, we have asked the Power grid corporation to realign them soon”, said a senior official at NEF Railway, who also asserted that the Railways would complete the work on time on this line.
Gauge Conversion of Rangiya- Murkongselek, a 510 km line, from meter gauge to broad gauge was declared a national project in 2007. Planned to be completed in three phases, 123 kilometer of the track work is already complete. PMO had identified the second phase, Rangpara to North Lakhimpur, 172 kilometer track to be completed on priority basis.
Tracks have been linked; station and yard works are in process. The target has been set at March, 2014. The project was announced in 2003-2004 and since then has faced the obvious troubles like lack of funds. Railway officials also stressed that there is also a dearth of good contractors in the region, along with frequent strikes that affect the execution of the work.
The ministry of finance had agreed to provide additional Rs 400 crore for the above three projects in July this year.
Officials in the Department of North East Region said the development of the North East found a special mention in the XI and XII Plan, which has accelerated the growth in the region. However, Railway officials in the NEF Railway highlighted the perpetual lack of funds that has stalled about 10 projects in the region ranging from new lines to the gauge conversion costing over Rs 20,000 crore.
“We got about Rs 2,400 crore from the Ministry of Railways this year, but the demand is about Rs 4,500 a year. We have the capacity to increase the speed of the projects and expedite the completion,” said a senior Railway official at NEF Railway.
Two other crucial projects in the North East-Bogibeel bridge connecting the North and South Bank in Arunachal Pradesh, costing about Rs 4,500 crore, is expected to be completed by 2016, but officials express their doubt by saying that it ‘depends on the availability of funds’. Similarly, Lumdig-Silchar gauge conversion announced way back in 1996 might have to wait little longer for its completion.
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