Memo seeking Rly Division at Badarpur submitted to Mamata

Correspondent
BADARPUR, June 11 – The demand for early creation of a railway division at Badarpur railway junction has been raised strongly along with other two issues viz early completion of broad guage (BG) conversation work from Lumding to Badarpur-Silchar and smooth train service in the Badarpur-Lumding section by the Badarpur Railway Division Implementation Demand Committee (BRDIDC) of Badarpur.

In this connection, a strong memorandum was also submitted to the Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee, through the area manager of Badarpur, by BRDIDC, on June 4 last mentioning points, in support of the demands. Stating the major causes and reasons behind these issues, the general secretary of BRDIDC. Sukumar Ghosh told The Assam Tribune that the demand for setting up of a full-fledged railway division at Badarpur junction as well as at most of other old and historic junctions of this backward area has been the most legitimate demand of the people Barak Valley as well as the north-eastern region since 1988.

Besides, this the Badarpur railway junction has played a significant role in national railway service since before independence. The Badarpur railway subdivisional junction connects various States like Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura and the Brahmaputra valley of Assam, and also the neighbouring Bangladesh.

Now this Badarpur Subdivision covers more than 500 km up to Haflong of NC Hills, Bhairabi, Kumarghat, Jiribam and Mahisashan. It is also a nerve centre of road transport covering States like Tripura, Manipur, Mizoram, Assam and also neighbouring country Bangladesh.

BRDIDC has mentioned in its memorandum that the Lumding-Badarpur BG conversion work is going on very slowly due to terrorist problems. But at this moment, due to lack of sufficient security arrangements in the disturbing areas of Lumding-Badarpur hill section, the BG construction workers and engineers along with the railway employees have stopped their works and they are also not willing to take any risk to their lives until and unless sufficient security personnel are deployed.

In this circumstances, the new Railway Minister Mamata Banerjee’s strong and strict action is needed for solution of the Badarpur-Lumding hill section problem, the BRDIDC memorandum stated. In the memorandum, BRDIDC also mentioned that the Lumding-Badarpur hill section has proved to be problematic for smooth running of trains, for which the areas of this section are becoming backward day by day. The development works have also become totally stagnant, it added.

So, for the early creation of the railway division at Badarpur railway junction, early completion of BG conversion work from Lumding to Badarpur-Silchar and smoothly running of trains in the Lumding-Badarpur hill section, the members of BRDIDC on behalf of all its citizens, have strongly urged the new Railway Minister to take immediate suitable steps.

The copies of the memorandum have also been sent to the Chief Minister of Assam, Minister Gautam Roy and LS MP-LM Suklabaidya for information and taking necessary action. ASSAM TRIBUNE