IOC signs MoU with Bangladesh for temporary oil-gas facilities
The Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region has sanctioned 28 projects worth Rs.1023.28 crore under North East Special Infrastructure Development Scheme (NESIDS) and 23 projects worth Rs.97.09 crore under schemes of North Eastern Council (NEC) during 2021-22 for the overall development of tourism sector in NER.
This update was given by Minister of Development of North Eastern Region G. Kishan Reddy in a written reply in Lok Sabha on 8 Aug 2022.
Further, the Indian Oil Corp Ltd has signed an MoU for facilitating temporary transit of petroleum, oil and lubricants (POL) and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) products through Bangladesh to India’s North Eastern Region.
The MoU was signed with Bangaldesh’s Ministry of Road and Highways on 2 August 2022, he informed the house.
Meanwhile, the development of a road link from Mahendraganj in Meghalaya to Hili in West Bengal through Bangladesh was raised with Bangladesh during the Virtual Summit held in December 2020, as well as during the Prime Minister’s visit to Bangladesh in March 2021.
Reddy also listed ongoing railway projects – “Agartala-Akhaura- Rail link” connecting Agartala (Tripura) with Akhaura (Bangladesh) and “Construction of Mahisasan (India)-Zero Point (Bangladesh) new line”.
These are to improve connectivity between the two countries, he said.
Elsewhere, Construction of Maitri Setu on river Feni in Sabroom has been completed and Royal Maitri International bus Services from Tripura to Kolkata via Bangladesh by Tripura Road Transport Corporation (TRTC) have started.
“Enhancing comprehensive connectivity between India and Bangladesh, through North East, is an important aspect of our bilateral cooperation and significant progress has been made in recent years,” said Reddy.
Rail and bus services between the two countries have resumed after the pandemic.
The Mitalee Express from New Jalpaiguri to Dhaka through Haldibari-Chilahati has started operating from 1 June 2022. This is the third passenger rail service between India and Bangladesh, he told the house. fiinews.com
