Guwahati, Feb 25 (IANS) Describing the country’s northeastern region as the ‘New Engine’ of development of India, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Tuesday announced several new initiatives and projects related to the Railway and IT industries which would be a huge boost to development in Assam.
Addressing the ‘Advantage Assam 2.0 Investment & Infrastructure Summit 2025’ in Guwahati, the Railways Minister said that a new mega railway workshop would be established at Basbari in Assam’s Bodoland areas fulfilling a key commitment under the Bodoland agreement while accelerating industrial growth.
Additionally, a dedicated mid-life reconstruction facility for locomotives would be set up in Lumding to enhance railway operations and maintenance, said Vaishnaw.
He further said that Guwahati railway station is undergoing a major transformation into a world-class facility, incorporating a 12-storey IT park to foster technological innovation and employment.
“Assam would also see the introduction of two Amrit Bharat Trains within the next 10 months, along with two new intercity train services connecting Guwahati to Silchar and Agartala,” the minister announced.
Announcing to enhance railway connectivity and operational efficiency, the strategic ‘Chicken Neck’ corridor would undergo quadrupling work, he said that the Kokrajhar – Gelephu railway project would establish a vital railway link between India and Bhutan, facilitating trade and connectivity.
Six new Gati Shakti terminals have been sanctioned to optimise freight movement and logistics efficiency across the region, the Railways minister said. He also announced that the IT and electronics sectors are also set to receive a major boost, with plans for another new semiconductor hub in Assam to promote self-reliance in semiconductor manufacturing.
“These railway and IT related initiatives reaffirm the government’s commitment to accelerating economic growth in Assam and the Northeast, ensuring improved connectivity, industrial advancement, and job creation,” the minister pointed out.
Furthermore, an advanced electronics manufacturing hub would be developed in Kamrup district in Assam, generating employment and fostering industrial expansion, Vaishnaw said.
Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Kapinjal Kishore Sharma said that the gross budget allocation for Railway infrastructure projects in northeast for the 2025-26 financial year is Rs 10,440 crore.
It is more than five times as compared to average budget allocation of Rs 2,122 crores during 2009-14. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who came to Guwahati on Monday, on Tuesday addressed the ‘Advantage Assam 2.0 Investment & Infrastructure Summit 2025’ in Guwahati. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma along with senior ministers of Assam was present during the session. The General Manager of the NFR Chetan Kumar Shrivastava, General Manager of Northeast Frontier Railway (Construction) Arun Kumar Chaudhary and senior railway officials were also present in the business summit.
–IANS
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