PM Modi lays foundation for redevelopment of 23 NFR rly stations at INR 685cr

GUWAHATI — Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday virtually laid the foundation for the redevelopment of 23 railway stations in six states in the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) zone at a cost of INR 685.32 crore, an official said.

A senior NFR official said that of the 23 railway stations to be redeveloped, 11 are in Assam, six in West Bengal, three in Bihar and one each in Mizoram, Sikkim and Tripura.

The 11 Assam stations include Haibargaon, Gohpur, Harmuti, Majbat, Pathshala, Tangla, Udalguri, Viswanath Chariali, Murkongselek, North Lakhimpur and Silapathar.

The six stations of West Bengal are Balurghat, Bhaluka Road, Harishchandrapur, Kumedpur junction, Malda Court and Siliguri junction while three stations from Bihar are Arariya Court, Labha and Salmari.

One railway station each in Mizoram, Sikkim and Tripura to be redeveloped are Sairang, Rangpo and Agartala, respectively.

The NFR, one of the 17 railway zones in India, operates in the northeastern states and in seven districts of West Bengal and five districts of Bihar.

The 23 railway stations under the jurisdiction of Northeast Frontier Railway are part of 553 railway stations across the country to be redeveloped under Amrit Bharat Station Scheme at a cost of over INR 19,000 crore.

Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha, who was present in the Agartala railway station during the Prime Minister’s virtual event, said that during the decade-long rule of Narendra Modi as Prime Minister, the nature of communication, including the railway system, has been changing in the northeastern region.

“India’s Amrit Bharat Railway Station is being developed through the amalgamation of tradition and development. Today (Monday), through virtual media, PM Modi laid the foundation for reconstruction of 553 railway stations and over 1,500 road overbridges/underpasses in the country, including Agartala railway station at a cost of INR 41,000 crore and inaugurated Gomti Nagar railway station,” he said.

The Chief Minister said that the Agartala railway station would play a very helpful role for the people of the state in the future.