Railway project deferred by one year
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 03 2015:
Although it was earlier declared that railway track construction work on the Jiri-Tupul route would be completed and railway service would be commissioned by March next year, the Northern Frontier Railway (NFR) has deferred the completion target to March 2017 .
This was stated by NFR Chief Engineer Mohanlal during a meeting with Chief Secretary O Nabakishore today at the Old Secretariat today, conveyed an official source.
NFR officials told the Chief Secretary that completion target for the Jiri-Tupul railway track has been deferred on account of frequent bandhs, blockades and abduction of officials/labourers.
They maintained that the track laying work can be completed in 2017 and railway service can be introduced on Jiri-Tupul route by March, 2017 .
Some labourers engaged in the track laying work have gone back out of fear.
The situation in Manipur is more dangerous than Kashmir on some aspects, said the railway officials while informing the Chief Secretary that work on Tupul-Imphal section has also been started.
The railway project is further impeded on account of shipping heavy machinery from Dimapur to Imphal and from Imphal to the work site rather than along Silchar-Jiribam highway as the latter is not fit for shipping heavy machinery.
Further informing that preparation of detail project report for the Trans-Asian Highway which would pass through Moreh has been completed, the railway officials asked the Chief Secretary to allot additional space at MSRTC complex, Moirangkhom, even if it is on lease, for housing officials.