Tura, Aug. 24: Members of a committee set up to demand a corridor from Balurghat in Bengal to Mahendraganj in Meghalaya, via Bangladesh, recently met several Union ministers to push for surface and air connectivity between the neighbouring nations.
The members, who recently met railway minister Suresh Prabhu, civil aviation minister Ashok Gajapathi Raju, road transport and highways minister Nitin Gadkari and minister in-charge for tourism Mahesh Sharma, pressed for air connectivity from Tura via Balurghat to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport in Calcutta and railway connectivity from Hili in Bangladesh to Sealdah in Bengal through the old Darjeeling Mail route. Bengal convener Naba Kumar Das, Meghalaya convener Biplab Bose, and convener of Bangladesh, Syed Mostafique Rahman, were the representatives of the committee. Former MP from Bengal Ranen Barman also accompanied the members.
The committee members informed Raju that air connectivity between Tura and Calcutta would help the people of Garo hills who frequently visit Calcutta for medical treatment. By road, it takes about three days to reach Calcutta from Mahendraganj in the South West Garo Hills.
"We have urged the civil aviation ministry to take a quick decision on the basis of the recommendation of the Rohit Nandan Committee so that the process of the implementation of air connectivity between Tura and Calcutta is initiated immediately," a release issued by the committee today said. The committee also said two non-operational airports - Balurghat in Bengal and Baljek Airport near Tura - could be made operational so that it provides an alternative link between the Northeast and the rest of India. They added that in case of national security the airports could be utilised for defence supplies.
On the rail link, the committee told Prabhu that distance between Sealdah and Hili was only six hours by train till 1965. But the service was suspended during the 1971 war.It takes about 12 hours now to reach Hili from Balurghat by road.
"If this rail route is re-opened, the people of Meghalaya and other adjoining areas in Bangladesh and India will be relieved of time hazard. The journey from Hili to Sealdah through Bangladesh will not exceed more than four hours through this route. The manager of NF Railway's Katihar division, Uma Shankar Singh Yadav, has confirmed that the preliminary survey to initiate the process of railway communication had been completed. It has received necessary funds from the Union railway ministry to develop the infrastructure for this purpose," a release said.
On road connectivity, the committee apprised Gadkari that before Partition, Meghalaya was attached to Bengal. The memorandum that was submitted to Gadkari states, "The Partition made communication between Meghalaya, including other northeastern states and Bengal, a great problem. It also caused problems for the government."
Gadkari was also informed that development in the fields of culture, education, economy, agriculture and tourism was greatly affected because of poor road communication. The committee said the communication between Bengal and Garo hills could be improved by introducing a corridor through Bangladesh.
The committee also said development of alternative routes from the Northeast to Bengal should be encouraged so that the region is not isolated.
