Replying to MLA Noklutoshi’s starred question on Tuli Railway Station, Minister P. Paiwang Konyak mentioned that the desire of the government is to have the best connectivity through airways, railways and waterways in the state. “We have interrupted connectivity, the Indian water ways is just at our doorstop and the railway connectivity is also very near,” he said.
Paiwang Konyak also mentioned that Tuli station, which is connected with Amguri, had served the passenger services from December 2002 till July 2007, however, due to poor patronization, passenger services were withdrawn after July 2007. He added that the Railways ministry had rejected stating that there was no return of revenue.
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The concern about the connectivity to Tuli town it is only 9.15 km from the Tuli Railway station to the Tuli town and the government is making efforts asking the Northeast Frontier Railway to put it up with the Railway Board but it was rejected because there was an opinion that the project would cost a return of low revenue and any project which the ministry had turned down, it takes time to revive back, the Minister said. During that time, the project cost was 109.25 crores, he added.
“I cannot give the full assurance, it is not the department or the state government who is not pursuing but it is the ministry who is not accepting the project,” Konyak remarked while also assuring that the department will continue to pursue the project and request the central department for the grant of the connectivity upto Tuli town.
When asked if Tuli Railway Station was functional, Paiwang Konyak stated that the Station is open for handling of outward goods, 59 rakes were loaded in the Financial Year 2022-23. This year, till date, four rakes were handled, however, there are no passenger services that serve the station, he informed. Currently, the Ministry of Railways do not have any proposal to extend the railway line from the present Tuli station.
Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio stated that the railway project is already approved to go beyond Kohima to Mao, Senapati, Imphal, Moreh and South East Asia but he also highlighted the land issue. He said that NH 29 is the number one route and therefore more railway lines in the state would be ideal.
He assured that the government will continue to pursue for better connectivity. He stated that along with the foot hill road, if parallel railway is developed, it would benefit the State economically, giving economic opportunities to the youth.
“Whichever tribe, village or landowners agree to par, cadastral survey will be done and government will purchase what they want to purchase and lease out to the Business community, otherwise they will not like to come and take up development activities in the private land or in the village patta and that is how the government is trying to facilitate,” Rio said.
