Constructions of Agr-Akhaura rail line to begin by January

The process for laying 15.054 km long railway tracks to connect Agartala with Akhaura in Bangladesh will start latest by January next.
"Bangladesh authorities are ready to start work for the project by December, 2014 or January,2015," leader of the Bangladesh Government's delegation Sunil Chandra Paul said today.
Paul made the statement after the Bangladesh delegation met its Indian counterpart in the third review meeting of the Steering Committee of Agartala-Akhaura rail project here yesterday.
For the purpose, the Bangladesh Railway Ministry, he said, was working in close collaboration with IRCON, a central PSU of the Indian government.
"Some parts of the land are public and some are private lands. We are working out on the issue of ensuring a least disturbing alignment. The process is nearing completion. The Detailed Project Proforma (DPP) will be submitted shortly," he said.

The leader of the Indian delegation Alok Kumar Sinha said that the 15.054 KM long track would be built in Meter Gauge, but in Broad-Gauge format so that it could be easily converted. The Government of India was funding the project with initial sanction of Rs 252 crore.
"Land survey on the Indian and Bangladesh side is complete and the process for acquisition of land is nearing completion. The Detailed Project Report (DPR) is expected to be submitted before concerned authorities of both the countries by September this year," he said.
The fourth meeting of the Project Steering Committee for the project would be held at Dhaka in December this year, Paul said.