By Firstdespatch Desk Mar 19, 2023
Agartala, Mar 19 (FD) With the aim to accelerate the work of the Indo-Bangla railway link, the Indo-Bangla Project Screening Committee (PSC) will hold a meeting in Bangladesh's Brahmanbaria next week, a senior official said on Sunday.
The important project which will connect the railway networks of the two countries has been delayed for the last few years.
A team of 11-members, comprising officials from Delhi and Tripura will visit Bangladesh’s Brahmanbaria on Monday to attend the PSC meeting scheduled to be held in Rail Bhavan there, Tripura's transport secretary U.K Chakma said.
The representatives of the two countries will review the 12.6 km railway project connecting two sides of the border, Chakma added.
Special secretary of Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Prabhat Kumar and IRCON's Chief Engineer, VK Gupta (Indian side) and Addl Secretary of Bangladesh Railways, Md Yasin and Joint Secretary of Bangladesh Railway Shahidul Islam will attend the meeting.
Chakma from Agartala and Raman Singla, a senior executive of IRCON based in Agartala will also attend the meeting.
Acknowledging that the implementation of the strategic railway project has been delayed due to various reasons, Chakma said the Indian side would insist on the speedy completion of the project.
“We will insist to complete the 12.6 km railway project by June this year. It was supposed to be completed almost a year ago. So far more than 80 percent work has been completed on the Indian side and 73 percent on the Bangladesh side.
Chakma, who has already held a review meeting with Ircon officials to monitor progress, hoped that work on the project would pick up speed after the PSC meeting.
Recently, Union Minister of State for Social Affairs and Women Empowerment Pratima Bhowmick met Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnab in Delhi and requested him to expedite the Indo-Bangla Rail project.
The Indo-Bangla Railway will provide a major link to the North Eastern states with the rest of the country through Bangladesh.