Leaders

Agartala, Feb 28: Political leaders and economic experts here today expressed resentment towards the proposed Railway budget, alleging that this would keep the northeastern states, especially Tripura, grossly neglected.

Transport Minister Manik De sharply reacted to the proposed railway budget. The state expected that the extension of rail track from Agartala to Sabroom will be included in this years budget, he said yesterday.

With the help of the people we would put pressure on the Centre to include this project in the budget, he said.

The ruling Left Front also confronted Railway Minister Lalu Prasad over the question of the much-awaited Kumarghat-Agartala railway extension in his Rs 31,000 crore budget.

Agartala was expected to see the rail-head by 2007-end, but now without any specific fund allocation the extension might get delayed, he feared.

Mr Prasad has sought a meager additional fund of Rs 2,725 crore from the Ministry of Finance for the national projects of Jammu and Kashmir and the Northeast. These include Udhamput-Srinagar-Baramulla, Jiribam-Imphal Road (Tapul) and Kumarghat-Agartala new line and Lumding-Silchar-Jiribam gauge conversion project.

There was no reference of railway extension up to Sabrm and it is anticipated that a major portion of the Rs 2,725 crore fund would go to Jammu and Kashmir.

UNI