Contractors not keen to resume work Lumding-Silchar BG Project

Lumding-Silchar BG Project
By our Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, Sept 12: Despite suspension of operations against the outlawed DHD (J), work at the NF Railway’s Lumding-Silchar Broad-gauge project is yet to resume.

In the past, work of the Lumding-Silchar BG project has come to a halt on many occasions, primarily due to insurgency problems. The project work has been worst hit in North Cachar Hills.

It should be noted that the BG work has remained suspended since May 15 this year. A semblance of peace seems to have returned to hill district with the DHD (J) offering an unilateral ceasefire. However, the Government is yet to take a decision. As per sources, both the Centre and the State Government are busy pushing the ball into each other’s courts.

Though the people feel that the BG project work would resume after the end of the monsoon season, the contractors are refraining from voicing their assent.

In a meeting with a delegation of the NF Railway Contractors’ Association last week, DGP RN Mathur requested the contractors to resume work after the end of the monsoon season. IGP (law and order) Chandra Nathan was also present at the meeting.

The contractors, however, are still afraid of resuming work. The contractors alleged that extortion is still going on, albeit, on a lower scale. A source said, “People feel that peace has come back. But how long will it last? Once we resume our work, extortion will start again.”

Quoting police sources, the source said, “The suspension of operations against the DHD(J) is entirely a political decision.” He added, “We don’t want to lose any more lives.”

The source further said the fear psychosis amongst the workers has become so strong that it has become very difficult to persuade them to start work again. He added that the NFRCA would hold a meeting soon to discuss its future stand. source: sentinel assam

No compromise with DHD(J): Santosh Mohan Dev

Source: Sentinel Assam

NEW DELHI, May 30: Union Minister for Heavy Industries Santosh Mohan Dev today ruled out any compromise with Black Widow militants who have virtually created terror in the North Cachar Hills of Asom. “A handful of DHD(J) militants have unleashed violence in the hill district and there should not be any compromise while dealing with them with a firm hand,” he said while addressing a press meet here today.

The Union Minister said that more security forces are being deployed in the NC Hills to ensure smooth execution of the Railway Broad Gauge project and the Express Highway project. The minister is going to meet the Defence Minister and the Railway Minister next week to discuss the present situation in the district. Meanwhile, the North Eastern Council (NEC) has sanctioned Rs 2.4 crore for repairing the Silchar-Kalain road, the Union Minister informed the press. An additional amount of Rs 2.5 crore is expected to be sanctioned for this purpose soon, he added.

On the other hand, BJP’s State President Ramen Deka blamed the State Government for the prevailing situation in NC Hills. He said the ensuing two-day national executive meeting of the BJP will take up the matter of internal security in Asom and the State Government’s role in the execution of the Lumding-Silchar BG project.

8 labourers killed in Lumding-Badarpur hill section

Assam: Militants kill 8 labourers
K Anurag in GuwahatiMay 11, 2008 20:17 IST Source: rediff.com

Suspected Black Widow militants gunned down eight construction workers of the Indian Railways at Phaidang under Mahur police station of North Cachar Hill district of Assam at around 2 pm on Sunday as a fresh bout of violence rocked the hill district since Saturday.

The police informed that a group of armed militants suspected to be from Dima Halam Daogah (Jewel Garlosa) or Black Widow opened indiscrimate fire at the construction workers killing eight of them on the spot.

The labourers were engaged by a contractor working in the multi-crore gauge conversion project of the Indian Railways in Lumding-Badarpur Hill Section under Northeast Frontier Railway. The railway project is already under severe threat from the marauding Black Widow militants.
The police and army launched a combing operation in the area following the massacre of the labourers.

A source in the Railways said that such killings by militants would not augur well for the gauge conversion project as well as railway services in Lumding-Badarpur hill section.
The Black Widow militants have posed serious threat to the project.

Incensed by fresh killings of its workers, the NFR might resort to cancellation of passenger train services in Lumding-Badarpur hill section in protest against continuing attacks by the militants and the failure of Assam government to provide adequate security to the contractors and workers engaged in the gauge-conversion project that is vital for expansion of the railway in the hill section of the north-east region.

Sunday's killing could be a retaliation by the DHD-J militants to the killing of 12 of its cadres by the army in the hill district on Saturday.
Three other persons were killed when Black Widow militants attacked a remote railway station in the hill district on Saturday night.