Priority is trains up to border with China: Rajen Gohain

Newly-appointed minister of state for railways Rajen Gohain on Wednesday said extending rail connectivity up to the India-China border would be a key priority.

“China already has rail connectivity to our borders. We should also do it. It would be a key priority for me. I will meet railways officials tomorrow in Guwahati and take stock of the situation,” Mr Gohain, a four-term BJP Lok Sabha MP from Assam, told this newspaper.

Soon after the Narendra Modi government came to power in 2014, the then Arunachal Pradesh governor, Lt. Gen. Nirbhay Sharma (Retd), had written to the PMO seeking immediate action in extending rail and road connectivity to the Sino-Indian border. “The issue needs to be addressed urgently or else, apart from a constant threat of ingress, gradual assimilation of our area by China is along the cards,” Gen. Sharma had said in his letter.

Nearly seven decades after Independence, of the eight states in the Northeast region only two state capitals — Guwahati and Agartala — are connected by rail. Six do without. “Vision 2020 aims at extending rail connectivity to all north-eastern states, which is not a very easy thing as most of the states are hilly with difficult terrain. But I will try my best,” Mr Gohain said.

Of his other aims, the veteran leader said: “Enhancing safety, security, passenger amenities and punctuality will, of course, be on top of the agenda.”