Minister faults rail budget for not starting new project in NE

Tripura Transport minister Manik Dey today criticised this year's railway budget for not launching any new project in the north-eastern states and termed it as "direction-less" and "pro-corporate".
"This budget could not fulfill the aspirations of the people of the north-eastern region as well as our state. In fact, it is a direction less and pro-corporate budget from which the rich people would benefit," Dey told reporters.
He said the people of the state had expected that there would be announcement for new trains from Agartala as the city has already come under the broad gauge map of the country.

He also expressed dissatisfaction over the absence of any reference in the budget to completion of work for the 15-km-long Agartala-Akhaura rail track.
The cost of the Agartala-Akhaura rail track would be borne by the Central government. When the cost of laying five km long track in Tripura is borne by the ministry of DONER the rest in Bangladesh side is borne by the Ministry of External Affairs.
However, he acknowledged, Rs 800 crore had been earmarked in the budget for laying railway track from Kumarghat in Unakoti district to Sabromm in South Tripura district and Agartala-Akhaura railway project.