Sushmita Dev for connectivity with Bangladesh, meets Prabhu

 Special correspondent

SILCHAR, Feb 21: Silchar MP Sushmita Dev in a memorandum to Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu, Union Railway Minister, on Saturday here expressed her thankfulness for the efforts put in by the Centre since the laying down of the foundation of the BG track here in 1996. Admittedly, the NF Railway has been facing many obstacles of ture, terrain and terror and the loss of the engineers and workers who are to be saluted for their sacrifice.

The MP said large track of railway line was lost following the partition of the country and the isolation of north eastern states. Against this backdrop, the problem of connectivity for this landlocked region and the neighbouring states could be solved by having access through Bangladesh. This would not only facilitate connectivity with the mainland of the country but also open access to markets and other benefits for the north eastern states.

 The MP reminded it was in January 2010 that Dr. Manmohan Singh, former Prime Minister of India, and his counterpart of Bangladesh Begum Sheikh Hasi, signed an agreement for a new railway line. The cost of the project was to be borne by the Ministry of Exterl Affairs and Doner Ministry. The Indian Railway Construction Company was to lay down the track on the Indian side. Another MoU was signed in Dhaka on February 16, 2013 to connect Sabroom with Chittagong.

 In this regard, Sushmita Dev pointed out that against the distance of 1650 km from Agartala to Kolkata and 2637 km from New Delhi via Guwahati and West Bengal, the distance between Tripura and Kolkata through Bangladesh is just 250 km. She impressed upon Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu to ensure that the ambitious project of Trans Asian Railway Network planned and conceptualized by the Manmohan Singh Government should be pursued and funded to get it turned into reality.

 Sushmita Dev further pointed out Barak Valley is geographically as positioned as Agartala and can emerge as the hub of trade and commerce. It now behoves on the present regime at the Centre to tap the potentiality of this north east region. The people of this valley have been demanding reming of Silchar railway station as ‘Bhasha Sahid Station’ for which the state government of Assam has forwarded it’s no objection to the Centre. On the issue of BG connectivity, Sushmita Dev had meeting with Suresh Prabhu in his official chamber in New Delhi.