MoUs will expedite the rate of development of Assam : CM
Government of Assam inked two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Railways and NRL for construction of second entry to Guwahati railway station and supply of high speed diesel for IWT vessels respectively at the programme held today at Janata Bhawan in presence of Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma.
As a part of the MoU with the Railways, Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) and North East Frontier Railway signed the understanding for exchange of land for construction of second entry to Guwahati railway station which is going to be a next generation railway station. Under the MoU, ASTC handed over four bigha, four kathas and 19 lechas of its land to railways. In exchange railway has given 20 bigha, two katha and one lecha of land to ASTC at Jalukbari along the NH 31. Moreover, the railway has given Rs. 5.93 crore to ASTC.
Moreover, as a part of the second MoU between Directorate of Inland Water Transport Assam and NRL, the IWT will get high speed diesel from the NRL for its vessels in Assam.
Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Dr. Sarma termed it an important occasion as the MoU with the railway result in transforming Guwahati Railway station into a next generation station. He said that Guwahati Railway Station witnesses an annual footfall of one crore passengers with a growth rate of 15-20 per cent. This MoU will also lead to creating passengers’ convenience along with developing a world class railway station, Dr. Sarma added.
The Chief Minister also said that in the last nine years in the state, 212 km of metre gauge have been converted to broad gauge in Assam. More than 200 km rail tracks have been made double tracked. Moreover, railway is also building a dedicated freight station at Agyathuri and another railway bridge over the Brahmaputra parallel to the existing Saraighat bridge.
The Chief Minister said that since the railway station Guwahati which experiences an annual footfall of one crore passengers connects several places across the state and North East region, upgradation of the state into state of art station is a long felt need. This MoU will be a win win situation for both ASTC and Railway as both the entities will gain from this understanding. It will help in decongesting the periphery of the railway station. He also said that both the MoUs will expedite the rate of development of the state.
It may be noted that MD ASTC Rahul Das singed the MoU on behalf of ASTC and Additional Divisional Railway Manager Lumding Division Sai Singh Kongrymmai signed it on behalf of NFR. On the other hand, Partha Pegu Director IWT and Chief General Manager Marketing NRL Subrata Das signed the MoU for IWT and NRL respectively.
Adviser, Education to Government of Assam Prof. Nani Gopal Mahanta, Commissioner Transport Adil Khan, GM NF Railway Chetan Srivastava, MD NRL Bhaskar Jyoti Phukan and a host of senior officers of the government were present on the occasion.