AGARTALA, Feb 8 (TIWN): Although the BG conversion work in Tripura is almost completed and the passenger train service can start at any moment but no major progress is witnessed in the extension project of the Indo-Bangla rail link so far.Talking to TIWN correspondent a government high official said that centre has sanctioned money for acquiring land and for laying of five km long tracks on the Indian side. However, he also said that there is no major progress in the Indo-Bangla rail link but will catch the speed in the coming days.However it is to be mentioned here that earlier the state government could not undertake land acquisition process as the centre had not placed funds but even after sanctioning funds of Rs.580 crore no progress is made in the indo-bangla rail link so far.The Indian government has sanctioned around Rs 1,000 crore for a 15-km India-Bangladesh railway project, the source informedThe union government has recently communicated to Tripura that it had sanctioned Rs 580 crore to lay the rail tracks and acquire required land in Tripura.

On the other hand the external affairs ministry earlier agreed to provide Rs 400 crore to lay the new tracks and to acquire land in Bangladeshi territory.

Indian and Bangladesh governments have decided to start a new rail link to ease surface transport. India will build a 15-km railway tracks linking Tripura’s capital Agartala with Bangladesh’s southeastern city of Akhaura, an important railway junction connected to Chittagong port, resource-rich Sylhet and Dhaka.

An agreement to implement the railway project was signed between India’s former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh and Bangladesh Premier Sheikh Hasina during her visit to India in January 2010.

The Indian Railway Construction Company (IRCON) would lay the new railway tracks on both sides of the border. Of the 15 km rail line, five km of tracks fall in the Indian Territory.

Earlier In a three day visit to the state, the NFR General Manager (Construction) R.K.Gupta inspected the work progress of Agartala-Bangladesh rail link at Nishchintpur BOP Indo-Bangla border area. Commenting on the progress of the Indo-Bangla rail link work he said that soil treatment is required before laying the track as the soil of the area is very soft for the aligned project. However, it is alleged that no work is done regarding the soil test of the area.

India has been keen to establish the Agartala-Akhaura rail link as it would facilitate easier connectivity between West Bengal and northeastern states through Bangladesh. It has offered to construct the railway link.