Development of NE would help other parts of India: B K Chaturvedi

ITANAGAR: North East, particularly Arunachal Pradesh, is under the special focus of the Centre as its development would help other parts of India, Planning Commission senior member (North East & Power) B K Chaturvedi said today.

Talking to media persons before inspecting the newly built railway tracks, Chaturvedi said the passenger train service powered by diesel engine would begin from March 20 after getting clearance from the commissioner of railway safety.

Asked about the introduction of services of Rajdhani Express between Itanagar and the national capital as a policy, he said that such services would be introduced in a phased manner.

When his attention was drawn to the fact that Arunachal Pradesh has huge hydropower resources, the Plan panel member said that the Himalayan state has a potential of about 50,000 to 60,000 MW of country's total one lakh MW capacity.

Many projects are under construction in the state which would take five to ten years and would greatly benefit the state as well as the nation, he said.

NF Railways GM (construction) R K Singh, who apprised the team of the 20-km Harmutty-Naharlagun railway project, informed that Itanagar would be the second state capital of the eight NE states after Guwahati to be put on India's railway map while Meghalaya is targeted for March 31.