Imphal, October 17: Union Railway Minister Nitish Kumar today assured Chief Minister O Ibobi that the proposal to lay a rail track, estimated to cost Rs 748 crores, connecting Jiribam and Imphal would soon be brought forward for discussion before the Union Cabinet.

Disclosing this, an official source told The Sangai Express that Nitish Kumar gave the assurance when Chief Minister O Ibobi called on him at his official residence at New Delhi today.

During the meeting, which lasted a full 45 minutes, the Chief Minister urged the Union Minister to start the process of laying the tracks as soon as possible according to the survey report of the Railway Board.

After patiently listening to the Chief Minister, Nitish Kumar said that the survey report of the Railway Board will be studied by the Planning Directorate of the Railway Ministry.

A report will then be submitted to the Planning Commission to get the due approval.

As the railway line will come up within one State only, the report will be submitted soon, Kumar added.

Fully agreeing with the idea that laying the railway line will help ease the transport bottleneck in Manipur, Nitish Kumar assured the Chief Minister that the matter would also be brought up for discussion at the Union Cabinet level soon.

This will come after the approval from the Planning Commission is received.

The Railway Ministry also assured that the matter will be discussed at Parliament if not during the forthcoming Winter session then at least at the next session.

Chief Minister O Ibobi is also scheduled to meet Union Health Minister Shatrughan Sinha tomorrow at 4 pm.

The Chief Minister is expected to discuss the Japanese aided Maternity and Paediatric Hospital slated to come up at the campus of the Old District Hospital.

North East Council Secretary PL Thanga is also scheduled to meet the Chief Minister at Manipur Bhawan tomorrow at 8 am.

The meeting will revolve around the development of Loktak Lake.

Ibobi will highlight the need for the NEC to set up a treatment and water management plant at the catchment area of the lake to save Loktak for further degradation, said the source.