Colombo-Chennai rail link proposed

INDIA: India and other SAARC member nations will explore the possibility of setting up a rail corridor between Chennai and Colombo, besides connecting Nepal, Bangladesh and northeastern states of the country.

These suggestions were mooted at the first meeting of the transport ministers of SAARC nations here. The member countries emphasised on rail corridor and strengthening air-connectivity between SAARC capitals.

During the meeting, India, Bhutan and Sri Lanka recommended nine sub-regional and regional projects including a rail corridor between Colombo and Chennai and air connectivity between Male-New Delhi and New Delhi-Islamabad among others for consideration of the SAARC member states.

India also suggested linking Birgunj in Nepal, to Katihar in Bihar, Chittagong in Bangladesh and Agartala in Tripura.

“Members states would be examining the viability and desirability of these projects for reporting to the third meeting of the inter-governmental group on transport scheduled to be held in Sri Lanka in second of week of March next year,” an official press release said.

The meeting deliberated on the report of the SAARC Regional Multimodal Transport Study (SRMTS) prepared and funded by the Asian Development Bank and recommended extending the study to include Afghanistan.

The participating ministers from Bhutan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Maldives, Nepal, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, also elected India’s Shipping, Road Transport and Highways Minister T R Baalu as the chairperson of the meeting.

Baalu said there should be a focused list of road, rail, water and aviation corridors, which are easily implementable.

Meanwhile, The Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, which is much in demand as a consulting agency among several countries planning a similar transport system, hosted foreign delegates from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Guatemala on Thursday.

The visiting dignitaries travelled on the Metro railway to get acquainted with the modern transport system.

Transport Minister Dullas Alahapperuma travelled from Central Secretariat to Chawri Bazaar, and then to Rajiv Chowk (Connaught Place) and Pragati Maidan.

Bangladesh Communications Minister M. A. Matin travelled from Central Secretariat to Rajiv Chowk and back. The Ministers were in New Delhi to attend a SAARC meeting.

The Sri Lankan Minister applauded the DMRC’s efforts and said: “As a citizen of South Asia I am proud of your achievement.”

The Bangladesh Minister said the Delhi Metro “speaks for the progress and development” of India. Later in the day, the Foreign Minister of the Central American nation Guatemala, Gert Rosenthal, visited the Delhi Metro. PTI