ITANAGAR, Jun 29: Union Minister of State for Railways Rajen Gohain on Friday said once the survey is completed and all formalities cleared, the Tawang railway line should be ready in six to seven years.
He also urged the state government to provide land for establishment of a camp office of the Northeaster Frontier Railway (NFR) in Tawang.
Gohain along with a team of officials of the NFR headed by its general manager called on Chief Minister Pema Khandu here on Friday afternoon to review the status of ongoing railway projects in Arunachal Pradesh.
The officials informed that the NFR is taking up the Bhalukpong-Tenga-Tawang railway line on priority due to its strategic importance.
The surveys for the Margherita-Deomali (31 km) and the Lekhapani-Kharsang (25 km) railway lines have been completed while surveys for 11 new railway lines in the state are in progress.
The lines under survey are Bhalukpong-Tawang, Silapathar-Bame-Aalo, Pasighat-Tezu-Parashuramkund-Rupai, Itakhola-Seijosa, Dumduma-Namsai-Wakro, Dangri-Roing, Deomali-Naharkatia, Lekhapani-Kharsang-Miao-Nampong-New Kamlang-Deban, and Tinsukia-Pasighat via Simalguri-Kanubari.
Of these, the first three railway lines have been identified by the National Security Council secretariat and are being funded by the union defence ministry, the NFR officials informed.
The NFR has set December 2019 as the target to complete the surveys. (CMO)