Aizawl, Jul 31 (PTI) Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Thursday held a meeting with Northeast Frontier Railway (Construction) General Manager AK Chaudhary and senior railway officials to discuss the extension of tracks to the state’s southern regions, an official statement said.
They also discussed the proposed inauguration of the new Bairabi-Sairang railway line and Sairang station, which are likely to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, it added.
During the meeting, Lalduhoma said the railway line towards Lawngtlai district in the southern part of Mizoram should pass through Thenzawl in Serchhip district, the designated place for the proposed peace city, which will house 10 lakh to 15 lakh residents.
The chief minister suggested that a railway station be set up not far from the town and urged the NF Railway to prioritise it in its preliminary survey.
In response, Chaudhary assured that the possibility of routing the railway line via Thenzawl would be addressed in their planning and a clear response would be provided by October.
Although Chaudhary said the railway line is ready for inauguration, he indicated that the Centre may wait for the completion of the secondary maintenance facility for coaches at Sairang station, which is still under construction and may take another month, before officially inaugurating the project.
Lalduhoma and railways officials also discussed the convenient time for inauguration of the Bairabi-Sairang railway line and Sairang railway station, the statement said.
The CM informed NF Railway officials that the PM has been invited to inaugurate the new project and Sairang station.
He told Chaudhary that a proper place has to be designated for the inauguration function and arrangements such as special coaches for site inspection and helicopter landing zones at Hortoki and Mualkhang stations would be required if the PM confirms his visit.
Lalduhom urged the general manager to start preparations for the inauguration at the earliest.
He also proposed August 19 as the day to review preparedness for the upcoming inauguration of the new railway line project.
Chaudhary on his part, informed the chief minister that the new Bairabi-Sairang railway line and railway stations are ready for inauguration.
The 51.38 km was commissioned by the NF Railway, which executed the project, after safety inspection by Commissioner of Railway Safety (Northeast Frontier Circle) Sumeet Singhal, in early June.
The 51.38 km-long Bairabi-Sairang railway line project is part of the Centre’s Act East policy, which aims at boosting connectivity and economic integration across the Northeast region.
The construction of the project began in 2015. PTI CORR MNB
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.