Delhi convenes meeting on new India-Bangladesh rail link

Indian External Affairs Ministry has convened a meeting in New Delhi on Wednesday to finalise the pending issues relating to proposed Agartala (Tripura)-Akhaura (Bangladesh) new rail link project, official said here on Monday.

“Various pending issues relating to new Agartala-Akhaura rail link project would be discussed and expected to be finalised in Wednesday’s meeting in New Delhi,” Tripura Transport Secretary Samarjit Bhowmik was quoted as saying in a report of IANS.

The much important fourth inter-ministerial steering committee meeting was called by the External Affairs Ministry, and officials from the Railway Board and other ministries would be present in the meeting.

“The new railway connectivity between the northeastern state and Bangladesh would boost the socio-economic, trade and business ties between the two countries,” he added.

Bhowmik, who would apprise the central government officials about the present status of the project, said Rs.302 crore is needed to acquire around 100 acres of land in the Indian side for laying tracks.

Agartala is 1,650 km from Kolkata and 2,637 km from New Delhi via Guwahati and Shillong, whereas the distance between Tripura’s capital and Kolkata through Bangladesh is just about 350 km.