rail budget criticised in northeast

The railway budget for 2012-13 presented in parliament Wednesday was criticised in the northeast, with an industry body and a powerful student’s body lamenting it had neglected the region.

The budget, presented by Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi, introduced four new trains for the northeastern region, including an air conditioned weekly service to Mumbai from Guwahati’s Kamakhya station.

Besides, the budget proposed a daily express train between Kamakhya and Tezpur, a weekly express train between Dibrugarh and Kolkata and a daily passenger train between Rangiya and Tezpur.

The budget also proposed to increase the frequency of the Dibrugarh-Chandigarh express from once to twice a week.

Of the 84 Adarsh stations which will be taken up in 2012-13, the budget proposed to include only two in Assam – New Bongaigaon and Kokrajhar in Lower Assam.

The budget proposed to take up new line surveys between Imphal and Moreh in Manipur while the stretch between Guwahati to Tinsukhia via Lumding will be surveyed for electrification.

The budget also proposed to complete gauge conversion projects between Rangapara North-North Lakhimpur and Balipara-Bhalukpong in north Assam.

The budget also targeted completing the stretch between Gauripur and Bilasipara in Dhubri district and the stretch between Dudhnoi in Assam’s Goalpara district and Mendipathar in Garo Hills of Meghalaya.

Proposals for new lines between Chaparmukh (Nagaon distict)- Dibrugarh, Dimapur-Tizit in Nagaland and Rupai-Parashuramkund on the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border had also been sent to the Planning Commission for appraisal.

Federation of Industry and Commerce of the North East Region (FINER) termed the announcements cosmetic.

“The northeastern region has once again been neglected. It has got mere cosmetic announcements like the new trains. However, the railway minister is silent while addressing the concerns of the northeast of rail connectivity throughout the region within a time bound period through a master plan in consultation with the stakeholders,” said FINER chairman R.S. Joshi.

The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) burnt a copy of the budget in Guwahati on Wednesday, alleging the neglect of the northeastern region.