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Monday, May 9, 2016, Baishakh 26, 1423 BS, Shaban 1, 1437 Hijri


Tripura urges for expansion of Trans Asian Rly Network
Published :Monday, 9 May, 2016,  Time : 12:00 AM  View Count : 24
AGARTALA, May 8: The Tripura government has urged External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to extend Trans-Asian Railway Network (TARN) up to Singapore via Myanmar, Malaysia and Thailand from Jawharnagar of Dhalai district of North Tripura.
In a letter to Ms Swaraj, Tripura Transport Minister Manik Dey demanded considering lying of the 109 km railway track between Jawharnagar of Tripura and Darlawn of Mizoram and extension of 148 km railway line to connect Kalay of Myanmar.
Mr Dey said there is a missing railway link of 95 km between Dawei and Namtok of Thailand and if it is connected the northeast would get connected up to Singapore and Cambodia without much problem.
"India needs to take up the issue with neighbouring countries to connect Trans Asian countries in railway link for better trade, commerce and closure people to people contact. The Act East Policy of Modi government will also fruitful and comprehensive if TRAN is established," Dey pointed out.
Justifying the argument of Tripura government, Dey maintained that Tripura is well connected by road to Bangladesh and soon it will be connected by railway.
Both Chittagong sea port and Ashuganj port on call would fully be operational by next couple of years, which will open up waterways to entire South East Asian countries."Sea connectivity through Chittagong port is the opportunity only for Tripura in the region.
Agartala is well connected to Bangladesh via Dhaka by road and Akhaura of Bangladesh is going to be connected by rail in next three years.
If Tripura is connected by alternative railway line with Myanmar, other neighbours up to Singapore and Cambodia will automatically connected," he argued. Besides, Ms Swaraj, he has sent a separate letter to Minister for Railways Suresh Prabhu with a request to take necessary steps for connecting the state with TARN.
A proposal along with a detailed map was made to the Centre for construction of 257-km railway route from Jawharnagar to Kalay via Darlawn of Mizoram.
According to Dey, the 15-km Agartala-Akhaura rail project was approved in 2012-13 and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the project was signed between India and Bangladesh governments on February 16, 2013.
The total cost of the Akhaura-Agartala rail project has been estimated Rs 967.85 crore while Rs 97.63 is required for land acquisition in the India's part; he said adding that though the DoNER already sanctioned money, the state government is yet to get the amount. ?Agencies










Editor : Iqbal Sobhan Chowdhury
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