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Title: Need for early completion of gauge conversion project on Katwa-Burdwan railway line in West Bengal.
MR. DEPUTY-SPEAKER: Now, we take up Special Mentions.
SHRI ABU AYES MONDAL (KATWA): Mr. Deputy-Speaker, Sir, I want to raise a very burning problem relating to my constituency. Katwa-Burdwan is an almost century old narrow gauge railway line in West Bengal. In the last Railway Budget, all the lines have been taken up for conversion into broad gauge. While inaugurating the gauge conversion project of Katwa-Burdwan narrow gauge line, on 30th June, 2007 hon. Minister of Railways, Shri Lalu Prasad announced that the broad gauge project would be completed within two years at an estimated cost of Rs. 203 crore. The conversion from narrow gauge to broad gauge being a 50:50 venture between the Government of West Bengal and Indian Railways, no remarkable achievement has been seen so far.
Therefore, I urge upon the Ministry of Railways, Government of India to take immediate action so that the said project can be completed within the estimated budget and time frame.