Railway Minister assures Rail connectivity upto Sikkim's Capital Gangatok

Railway connectivity would soon be approved upto the capital city of Gangtok in addition to the 45km long railway link from Sevoke to the town of Rangpo, assured the Union Minister for Railways , Government of India – Shri Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu while interacting with the Sikkimese people on “Good Governance” at Chintan Bhawan, in the state capital.

The interaction meeting was also chaired by the Member of Parliament-Shri. P.D Rai, the Chief Secretary of Sikkim-Shri A.K Shrivastava, General Manager of the North East Frontier Railways- Shri H.K Jaggi and the Secretary of the Sikkim Chamber of Commerce.

The Union Minister, while speaking to the gathering appreciated the prepossessing beauty of the State of Sikkim and highlighted that this can be greatly tapped to give further impetus to the rapid progress of the State of Sikkim. He mentioned that improved rail connectivity to the State of Sikkim will greatly benefit the State and its people.

He also lauded the organic status of the State and asserted that the railway connectivity to upto Gangtok and further advanced to the international rail links of Asia would be a colossal factor in taking the organic harvest & produce of Sikkim to the booming economies of Asia .

While speaking on the North East Region , the Union Minister stated that the region has the potential to be the next growth story through the overall development of the tourist infrastructure.

He accented that the good governance of the Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is reflected in the fact that the Prime Minister has decided to shift focus on the development of the North East with dedication and expedition to transform the North East for the people of the North East.

In conclusion, he solicited feedback and suggestions from the stakeholders for improving the connectivity and services.

M.P, Shri P.D Rai, Chief Secretary of Sikkim and the Secretary, Chamber of Commerce also addressed the meeting wherein they collectively highlighted the problems faced by the Sikkimese people in terms of railway connectivity while soliciting a favourable response from the central government .

On the occasion an Achievement Report of the Northern Frontier Railways in the North East ( 2014-2016) which is reflective of the good governance in the region was also released by the Minister.

The interactive meeting saw discussions on the topic of Good Governance by the Minister with the media, members of the Chamber of Commerce , prominent citizens, students and stake holders.

The Union Minister is on a five day visit to the States of Sikkim and West Bengal as a part of regular commitment to the region for sustainable development.

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