Forest clearance delaying rail projects.

The works for the railway extension line from Udaipur to Sabroom would intensify within a couple of weeks as the State Government is persuading the Ministry of Forest and Environment (MoFE) for environmental clearance, Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) sources confirmed.

Of the total proposed rail track from Udaipur to Sabroom, around 70 per cent will be laid in Reserve Forest (RF) areas, according to the alignment.

'Clearance from MoFE appears a major hurdle for the rail project. The State Government has already taken up the issue with Delhi to get the clearance at the earliest. No doubt, the ongoing election exercise is also hindering the process', said an NFR official.

'It is not a fact that works for the rail extension project have not got underway. We are working on the project where the NFR got 'jote' land. Obviously, works will gain ground once the forest clearance is achieved', he said.

The Assam Tribune