AGARTALA, May 2 (TIWN): The works for the railway extension line from Udaipur to Sabroom would intensify within couple of weeks as the state government is persuading to get clearance from the Ministry of Forest and Environment (MoFE), sources in the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) confirmed. Of the total proposed rail track from Udaipur to Sabroom, around 70 percent will be laid in the Reserve Forest (RF) area according to the alignment.

“Clearance from MoFE appears major hurdle for the rail project. The state government has already taken up the issue with the Delhi to get clearance at the earliest. No doubt, the ongoing election exercise is also hindering the process”, said rail official from Maligaon, headquarters of NFR here today.

“It is not fact the works for the rail extension project have not got underway. We are working in the project where the NFT got jote land. Obviously, works will gain ground once the forest clearance is achieved”, he said.

In Bagafa forest division, a total of 155.49 acres of jote land has been handed over to the NFR authority. And remaining plots will be handed over to the NFR after getting nod from the MoFE.

As per the schedule, the 56 km proposed rail track is supposed to be completed by December, 2016 next. However, the deadline could be achieved only if the land is handed over to the NFR in time.

Now, the work is in full swing in between Agartala and Udaipur project which is scheduled to be completed by March 2015 next.