AGARTALA, July 26 (TIWN): On yet another nod to the Rs. 580 crore India-Bangladesh rail project linking Agartala rail station with the Bangladesh Brahmanbaria District via Akhaura, the Ministry of Finance is all set to decide the source of the fund to be released for the project work, said the top official of state transport department. The total 15km-long railway link between Agartala and Akhaura railway junction in Brahmanbaria district of is expected to be completed by mid-2017. Just after the NITI Aayog meeting had broke the deadlock on the proposed India-Bangladesh railway project the Delhi cabinet Ministry had recently sanctioned a total of Rs. 580 crore. According to the master plan amongst the 5 km rail line in the Indian territory an elevated rail line would be constructed stretching 3.7 Km from Dukli to Nishchindapur which would be absolutely an unique experience for the people of the land-locked Tripura and other northeastern states. The rest 1.3 Km line would be laid over the land connecting the Agartala Akahura from where the rest of the rail line would be taken up till Brahmanbaria junction. The official also said that another new Integrated Check Post and immigration centre would be constructed at the Bangladesh border linking Agartala Akhaura. Work to lay the 15-km railway track to link Tripura capital Agartala with Bangladesh's southeastern Akhaura city is yet to start although the two countries are very serious about executing the project.

However the Ministry of External Affairs announcing Rs. 580 crore for the project work had asked the Ministry Finance to get the final nod that from which Ministry the fund would be released. In view of this the official said that either the Ministry of Railways or the Ministry of External Affairs would release the fund but it would be known only after the Finance Ministry takes its decision.

Indian Railway Construction Company (IRCON) is entrusted to lay the tracks on both sides of the border, with five km falling in the Indian territory and the remaining in Bangladesh.

The new railway connectivity between the northeastern state and Bangladesh is eyeing forward to boost socio-economic, trade and business ties further between the two countries.

The official further added that the elevated corridor for the first of its kind in the history of Tripura would also reduce Indo-Bangladesh railway project costs from Rs 302 crore to only 98 crore.

The Ministry of Development of North eastern Region (DoNER) earlier in the NITI Aayog meeting refused to floor the fund due to crisis.

Agartala is considered to be one of the fastest growing cities in the country and is going to be the corridor of Southeast Asia via Bangladesh. Besides, railway link, Agartala will soon connect to global telecom network at Cox's Bazar submarine cable and India is constructing 2.5 km long bridge over River Feni to connect Chittagong Sea Port with southern most city of Tripura Sabroom.

New Delhi is keen to establish the rail link as it would connect West Bengal and Tripura through Bangladesh. During Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to New Delhi in January 2010, India and Bangladesh had agreed to lay the tracks between Akhaura and Agartala.

And later during his visit to Dhaka on June 6 PM Modi had taken up discussion regarding the project with his Bangladesh Counterpart Sheikh Hasina.

The rail line is also expected to become cost-effective to ferry men and material between the two countries and between mountainous northeast region and other parts of India via Bangladesh once the railway project is completed.