By Our Correspondent
GUWAHATI/NEW DELHI: BJP National Vice-President and Party’s In charge for Assam and Delhi, Baijayant Jay Panda , on Monday said Guwahati – New Jalpaiguri First Vande Bharat Express is not just one Train but a package of push to Rail , Road and Air infra in North East.
In a series of tweets, the BJP National VP Jay Panda, highlighted how Prime Minister Narendra Modi, flooding funds for development of north-eastern region of India.
“VandeBharatExpress from Guwahati, first in North East, means more mobility, spurt in growth. However, this is not just one train but a package of push to rail / road / air infra in the region for which PM @narendramodi must be complimented,’ Panda said soon after PM Modi flagged off Assam’s first Vande Bharat Express via video conferencing on Monday .
The Vande Bharat Express will connect Guwahati with New Jalpaiguri Guwahati and the journey will take 5 hrs 30 mins. The Prime Minister also dedicated 182 Route kilometers of newly electrified sections and inaugurated a newly constructed DEMU/MEMU shed at Lumding in Assam.
“Indian Railways spent Rs 50,000 crores in last 9 years; from 9 in 2014, we’ve 17 airports now with 5 states – Mizoram, Meghalaya, Sikkim, Arunachal & Nagaland seeing a flight take off for the first time in 75 years. Inauguration of India’s longest water Dhola – Sadiya bridge, Asia’s second largest rail-cum-road Bogibeel bridge; the landmark Agartala – Akhaura rail link being built between India and Bangladesh with a cost of more than Rs 1,100 crores are some decisive push,” the BJP National VP said.
The state-of-the-art Vande Bharat Express will provide the people of the region with the means to travel with speed and comfort. It will also boost tourism in the region. Connecting Guwahati with New Jalpaiguri, the train will help save about an hour of journey time, when compared with the current fastest train connecting the two places. Vande Bharat will cover the journey in 5 hrs 30 mins, while the current fastest train takes 6 hrs 30 mins to cover the same journey.
The Prime Minister dedicated 182 Route kilometers of newly electrified sections. This will help provide pollution-free transportation with trains running at higher speeds and reduced running time of trains. It will also open the doors for trains running on electric traction to enter Meghalaya.
The Prime Minister also inaugurated a newly constructed DEMU/MEMU shed at Lumding in Assam. This new facility will be helpful for maintaining DEMU rakes operating in this region, leading to better operational feasibility.
Earlier, the Prime Minister elaborated, Northeast is getting its first Vande Bharat Express today where this is the third Vande Bharat Express which connects West Bengal. Secondly, approximately 425 kilometers of railway tracks in Assam and Meghalaya have been electrified. And, thirdly, a new DEMU/MEMU shed has been inaugurated in Lumding in Assam. The Prime Minister congratulated the citizens of the entire Northeast along with Assam, Meghalaya and West Bengal on this momentous occasion.
The Prime Minister said that the Guwahati -New Jalpaiguri Vande Bharat train will strengthen the centuries-old ties between Assam and West Bengal. This will increase ease of travel and provide huge benefits to students and will increase job opportunities arising out of tourism and business. He said that this Vande Bharat will provide connectivity to Maa Kamakhya Temple, Kaziranga, Manas National Park, and Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary. Furthermore, the Prime Minister pointed out that it will enhance travel and tourism in Shillong, Cherrapunji in Meghalaya and Tawang and Pasighat in Arunachal Pradesh.
