Broad-gauge now a personal challenge for me: Tarun Gogoi

SILCHAR, July 17: Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi categorically stated that he had taken the completion of the two jinxed national projects, the Silchar Lumding broad-gauge conversion and East-West Corridor, as his personal challenges.

Responding to a team of the All Cachar Karimganj Hailakandi Students’ Association (ACKHSA) and All Dimasa Students’ Union at Dispur on Thursday, Gogoi said the State government would take proper steps to provide adequate security to the construction workers engaged in these two projects which had virtually been stalled due to repeated attacks and extortion by Black Widow, a Dimasa militant outfit. ACKHSA president Rupam Nandi Purkayastha after reaching Silchar today said that Gogoi had assured of proper security for these two national projects.

State Urban Development Minister Dinesh Prasad Goala and Parliamentary Secretary (Finance) Ajit Singh accompanied the representatives of the student bodies to the Chief Minister. ACKHSA leaders expressed concern over the unnecessary delay in the completion of broad-gauge and hinted that transport lobby was behind the scene. They further expressed their dissatisfaction to Gogoi for delay in acquisition of land for East-west Corridor project both in Cachar and N C Hills.

Gogoi claimed that his government had taken proper steps to bring back normalcy in the trouble-torn N C Hills and as a result the work for the two national projects could now go on smoothly.

Sources said, some people in Cachar have alleged that delay in the projects was mainly because of the ego clash between Gogoi and former Union Minister Santosh Mohan Dev who had lost in the recently held general election.

The non-completion of the broad-gauge played a major role in his defeat. It is to be noted that Gogoi had earlier maintained that being the Chief Minister, he had to look after the security of the entire State, and could concentrate only on the security for the broad-gauge project. SOURCE: THE SENTINEL