HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, Aug 6: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday laid the foundation stones for the redevelopment of 32 railway stations in Assam, which are among the 508 stations across the country that will be modernised under the ‘Amrit Bharat Station Scheme’.
The stations in Assam will be modernised at a cost of Rs 990 crore, a Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) official said.
Among these stations are Amguri, Dibrugarh, Duliajan, Tinsukia, Dhubri, Diphu, Kokrajhar, Jorhat Town, Jagiroad, Lumding Junction, New Haflong, Narengi and New Karimganj.
Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who attended the foundation stone laying programme at Narangi station in Guwahati, said the modernisation is being done with future demands in mind.
“The modernisation is being planned in such a way that for the next 25 years, train travel will be a good experience,” he said.
A total of 50 stations in the state will be redeveloped under the scheme, and foundation stones for 32 were laid on Sunday.
Sarma said the redevelopment work will be completed within two years.
During the ceremony, chief minister Sarma expressed confidence that the redevelopment of these railway stations will provide comfortable and dignified travel experiences for passengers. The transformed stations will fulfill the hopes and aspirations of the people of Assam in regard to railway travel.
Highlighting Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call to celebrate the 25 years from the 75th Independence Day as ‘Amrit Kaal’, chief minister Sarma expressed his belief that by the 100th year of Independence in 2047, India will achieve the status of a world leader. He credited the visionary leadership of the Prime Minister for India’s rapid progress, making it the 5th largest economy globally, with the potential to become the world’s third largest economy in the future.
CM Sarma also emphasised that the Prime Minister places great importance on the all-round development of Northeastern India. The allocation of 32 railway stations out of 508 to Assam reflects the Prime Minister’s commitment to the state. He also praised the Union government’s decision to grant Rs 10,000 crore for the Northeastern Frontier Railway in the railway budget. This funding will expedite ongoing projects in the region, transforming the railway landscape in the Northeast.
The ceremony was attended by Assam Governor Gulab Chand Kataria, Members of Parliament Queen Ojha and Pabitra Margherita, Mayor of Guwahati Municipal Corporation Mrigen Sarania, and chief general manager of Northeast Frontier Railway Chetan Kumar Srivastava. (With inputs from PTI)
