Centre sets Rail project linking Imphal and other NE states deadline
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, February 04, 2011:
The Government of India has set March, 2012 as the target for completion of the project linking Imphal with the rest of the country by rail.
According to a release of the Press Bureau Information, under its Ministry for Development of North East Region, the Government of India has accorded priority to linking of the capitals of North Eastern States to main lines by rail, road and air routes.
While Guwahati (Assam) and Agartala (Tripura) have already been connected by rail, the projects under implementation for linking Itanagar, Imphal and Shillong are being targeted for completion by March 2012. Among the projects being taken up, Jiribam- Tupul-Imphal project is to connect Imphal with rest of the country by rail.
Other projects currently under implementation and which the Government of India has set March 2012 as the target for completion are Harmuti-Itanagar project and Azra-Byrnihat-Shillong project.
Bhairabi-Sairang project, Dimapur-Zubza project and Sivok- Rangpo project, that would respectively connect the capital cities Aizawl of Mizoram, Kohima of Nagaland and Gangtok of Sikkim have been targeted to be completed by March 2015, according to the release.
As for road connectivity, the release pointed out that all the State capitals of North Eastern States have already connected by National Highways.
In case of air sector, the Government has laid down Route Dispersal Guidelines with a view to achieve better regulation of air transport services taking into account the need for air transport services of different regions of the country including North Eastern Region.
It is, however, up to the airlines to provide air services to specific places depending upon demand and commercial viability while complying with Route Dispersal Guidelines, the release pointed out.
Although Guwahati (Assam), Imphal (Manipur), Shillong (Meghalaya, Aizawl (Mizoram) and Agartala (Tripura) have already air connectivity, the Government is planning new green field airport at Itanagar, Chiethu (Kohima) and at Pakyong (Gangtok), the release said, adding that while July, 2015 and September 2012 have been respectively set as the target for completion of the new airfield at Itanagar and Pakyong, no target date has been fixed so far for Chiethu.