The Railway Minister promised that work on the Digha-Tamluk, Howrah-Amta and Eklakhi-Balurghat project would be started immediately. The –Howrah-Amta and Howrah-Siakhalap projects , approved in 1974-75, were estimated to cost Rs.90 crores. The segment between Howrah and Bargachia has been completed and so far only about Rs23 crores have been spent. No provision has been made in the 1998-99 Railway Budget. The MLAs and MPs were of the view that there could be no reason delaying the projects so long. The Tamluk –Digha scheme sanctioned in 1987 is much behind schedule with only 23%of the work completed till February 1996.The Railway Minister also hoped that the problems of acquisition of land for the Eklakhi-Balurghat project would be resolved soon.

The Railway Minister was confident that the works on the New Jalpaiguri-Siliguri-New Bongaigaon section commence any day from now.

The Railway Minister did not make any commitment for expansion of the Metro Railway on the plea of funds crunch although the MLAs and MPs the project had to funded entirely by the Centre. The survey report on doubling of the Krishnagar –Lalgola section had been received by the Railway Board. The decision on starting work on this section would be taken soon, the Minister said.

Even though the public sector wagon manufacturing units have been starving of orders from the Railways, the Union Railway Minister assured the delegation members that on their demand 75%of orders would henceforth be placed on the public sector units.