SHILLONG, APRIL 12: Chief minister Mukul Sangma on Friday said Meghalaya will find a place on the railway map of the country with the inauguration of the state’s first railway station at Mendipathar in South Garo Hills “very soon”.
Participating in the discussion on the budget I the state Assembly, the chief minister said all sections of the people of the Garo Hills have extended their wholehearted support to the railway project and urged similar show of support from the people of the Khasi-Jaintia Hills for establishing rail links to Byrnihat and even Shillong.
Sangma sought to allay fears of possible influx and immigration with the introduction of railways and pointed out that there was a directorate of infiltration already in place to deal with the issue.
Emphasizing that there was a need for introduction of cheaper transportation mode in the land locked state to make essential commodities affordable to the general masses, Sangma, while citing the example of Switzerland, also said introduction of railways would also give a boost to tourism.
The chief minister, who hold the finance portfolio, also spelt out his government’s commitment to expand the Umroi and Baljek Airports in a time-bound manner and address infrastructural gaps in road connectivity in the state.
He said a new 361 km-long National Highway-127 has been notified and its alignment connecting Asanang, Williamnagar, Phulbari, Tura and Nongstoin has been approved. Rs 479 crore has been earmarked for the road sector, he added.
Stressing on the revival of the dysfunctional river routes to neighbouring Bangladesh, which are approved water ways for trade, Mukul said: “We want Meghalaya to be a trade corridor for the Northeast to Bangladesh”. (By Our Reporter)
+ There are no comments
Add yours