Guwahati, Aug. 16: Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal today urged the railway ministry to construct a railway bridge connecting Majuli from Dhakuakhana in Upper Assam to expose the biggest river island in the world and the seat of Vaishnavism to the whole world.

Participating in a meeting convened by the Union minister of state for railways Rajen Gohain here this morning, Sonowal said connecting Majuli by rail would help develop the river island economically and make it a hub of tourism.

"Majuli will be exposed to the global society if the railways build a bridge from Dhakuakhana in Dhemaji district," he said.

He urged the railway minister and officials present in today's meeting to create a separate railway zone exclusively for the Northeast.

"For the overall growth of the railway network and economic prosperity of the northeastern states, a separate railway zone in the name of North East Railway instead of Northeast Frontier Railway must be created," he said, adding that portions of Bengal and Bihar that fall under the jurisdiction of NF Railways must be excluded from the new zone.

Sonowal also called for recruitment of people from Assam and other northeastern states in grades III and IV in the railways. "People encompassing the greater Assamese society must get preference in grade III and IV posts in the railways," he said.

The chief minister suggested that the areas in and around the ongoing Bogibeel bridge be beautified to make it a tourist spot.

Chief secretary V.K. Pipersenia requested the railway minister to introduce four Shatabdi trains connecting Guwahati and Dibrugarh, Guwahati with Srirampur via Goalpara, Guwahati with Murkongseleng and Guwahati with Silchar to improve railway services in the state. In this connection, Gohain disclosed that plans are on the anvil to introduce Shatabdi trains from Guwahati to Dibrugarh and Murkongseleng to Guwahati.

Pipersenia requested the commissioning of the Moinaguri to Jogighopa railway line, particularly the stretch from Gauripur to Abhayapuri, to ensure an alternate link with the rest of the country. Responding to demands and pleas of Dispur, Gohain said double tracking from New Jalpaiguri to Guwahati and Guwahati to Lumding is on at a revised estimate of Rs 650 crore.

Gohain, while promising to clear all pending railway projects in the region, said the railways is conducting surveys for parallel bridges at Saraighat and Silghat, besides two others at Mariani, Jorhat and Sivasagar. Gohain assured that Guwahati railway station would be upgraded to a world class station, besides providing new coaches and bogies to improve train services in the region.

Power supply

Sonowal today directed the power department to chalk out a time-bound strategy to improve the power scenario in the state. He said subsidiary companies of the Assam State Electricity Board should be associated with the lives of the people of the state and conceive innovative ideas to make Assam a power surplus state.