AGARTALA, June 10 (TIWN): The proposed India-Bangladesh railway project to connect the North East with Bangladesh is yet to take off, as Modi-Hasina gave no green signal even after the passage of at least five years. However, uncertainty droops all over with the state transport officials here and thus keeps no hope on commencement of the work. The Rs. 575-crore project was finalized in January 2010 when Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina met her counterpart Manmohan Singh during her visit to New Delhi. The 22-pact of agreements inked by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his counterpart Sheikh Hasina on June 6, consisted of several bi-lateral ties with Bangladesh but had excluded the Indo-Bangladesh railway project work connection between the Northeast India with the Bangladesh. With an aim to connect Agartala with West Bengal, PM Modi for the first time, used the Bangladesh territory as a place for the flagging off direct bus service between Tripura-West Bengal via Dhaka. Besides, earlier visiting the state Ministry of Railway Board Executive Director Vivek Kumar indicated, “The Central Government is yet to provide required funds for the project.” However, the project work would be delayed and has gotten no green signal from the Ministry yet today, after the passage of five years since the project work was sanctioned. Tripura Government had recently approached the railway ministry again to allocate funds. "No fund has been allocated in the railway budget for 2015-16, even for land acquisition. The cost of the project was earlier estimated at Rs.271 crore. In addition, Rs.302 crore is needed to acquire around 98 acres of land in India for laying the tracks. Vivek Kumar said, "The work to lay the 15-km railway track to link Agartala with Bangladesh's southeastern Akhaura city is yet to start although the two countries are very serious to execute the plan.”

The state transport officials expressing displeasure over the delay of the commence of the work said, “"We had been long demanding for early completion of the 15-km long railway track to connect Agartala with Akhaura in Bangladesh, so that people of this land locked state can travel through this neighbouring country.”

The official said, “Even after the passage of at least 5 years, from the year the project work was sanctioned, the Ministry has not given a green signal to it during the flag off ceremony on June 6.” Adding to that the official said “We were actually keeping eyes on the announcement of the railway project work but unfortunately it did not happen.”

“It was an important connectivity to boost economy of the region and to create a passage for the people with the rest of the country,” said the official.

However, the new railway connectivity between the north eastern state and Bangladesh would boost the socio-economic, trade and business, tied between these two countries. It is also expected that the project work would become cost-effective to ferry men and material between these two countries.