Assam Government inks MoU with N.F. Railway and NRL

Guwahati (Assam) [India], June 14 : The Assam Government inked two Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with Railways and NRL (Numaligarh Refinery Limited) for the construction of a second entry to Guwahati railway station and supply of high-speed diesel for Inland Water Transport (IWT) vessels respectively at the programme held on Wednesday at Janata Bhawan in Guwahati in presence of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

As a part of the MoU with the Railways, Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) and North East Frontier Railway signed the understanding for the exchange of land for the construction of a second entry to Guwahati railway station which is going to be a next-generation railway station.

As a part of the second MoU between the Directorate of Inland Water Transport Assam and NRL, the IWT will get high-speed diesel from the NRL for its vessels in Assam. Speaking on the occasion, Chief Minister Sarma termed it an important occasion as the MoU with the railway resulted in transforming the Guwahati Railway station into a next-generation station.

He said that Guwahati Railway Station witnesses an annual footfall of one crore passengers with a growth rate of 15-20 per cent. This MoU will also lead to creating passengers convenience along with developing a world-class railway station, Sarma added.

The Chief Minister also said that in the last nine years in the state, 212 km of metre gauge have been converted to broad gauge in Assam. More than 200 km of rail tracks have been made double-tracked.

Moreover, the railway is also building a dedicated freight station at Agyathuri and another railway bridge over the Brahmaputra parallel to the existing Saraighat bridge.

The Chief Minister said that since the railway station Guwahati which experiences an annual footfall of one crore passengers connects several places across the state and North East region, the upgradation of the state into state of art station is a long-felt need. This MoU will be a win-win situation for both ASTC and Railway as both entities will gain from this understanding. It will help in decongesting the periphery of the railway station.

He also said that both the MoUs will expedite the rate of development of the state. N. F. Railway has already appointed a consultant for the development of the second entry and planned for the overall development of Guwahati Railway Station. A roof plaza will be provided over the railway track to create additional space at the station for providing sitting arrangements and kiosks etc. for passengers.

The station will be developed with a 'green building' concept with the installation of solar panels, waste management, water management etc. In order to provide adequate amenities to the passengers, the station will come up with more facilities like lifts, escalators, modern signages, toilets, spacious waiting hall, parking facilities along with charging points for electric vehicles and facilities for flooding and lodging etc.

Guwahati, being the biggest city in the Northeast region, also serves as the gateway to the Northeastern states of India. Lying in the heart of this city, the Guwahati Railway Station has been serving as the connectivity hub for the region. With these newly added facilities, the station will usher in unprecedented all-around development for the people of Guwahati.

It may be noted that MD ASTC Rahul Das signed the MoU on behalf of ASTC and Additional Divisional Railway Manager Lumding Division Sai Singh Kongrymmai signed it on behalf of NFR. On the other hand, Partha Pegu Director of IWT and Chief General Manager Marketing NRL Subrata Das signed the MoU for IWT and NRL respectively.

Adviser, Education to Government of Assam Prof. Nani Gopal Mahanta, Commissioner Transport Adil Khan, GM NF Railway Chetan Srivastava, MD NRL Bhaskar Jyoti Phukan and a host of senior officers of the government were present on the occasion.