Basudev Acharya emphatic on Silchar-Lumding BG project
From our Staff Reporter Sentinel Assam SILCHAR, June 16: The work of the militancy-hit Silchar-Lumding Broad Gauge Project has to be started immediately, said the chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee attached to the Railways, Basudev Acharya while interacting with mediapersons here today. He said if the State Government fails to provide security in the trouble spots, the Centre has to send more paramilitary force for the early completion of the project. He said that he would discuss the issue with the Prime Minister on June 23. “If necessary, I will also meet Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil,” he added. Acharya, who arrived here this morning, is likely to meet Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi to discuss the prevailing situation in North-Cachar Hills. He is also scheduled to meet NF Railway General Manager Ashutosh Swami and General Manager (construction) Shiv Kumar tomorrow. Meanwhile, three neighbouring States of Tripura, Manipur and Mizoram have extended their support for early completion of the broad gauge project between Lumding and Silchar. The people’s convention held at the packed auditorium of the Silchar District Library today decided to put pressure on both Dispur and New Delhi by mobilizing mass movement to remove the connectivity bottlenecks being faced by the people of the region. “Providing adequate security to the project is the responsibility of the State Government and Dispur should learn a lesson from the Tripura Government, which, despite the insurgency problem, has executed the Kumarghat-Agartala project on time,” said Basudev Acharya, while addressing the convention. Agartala is going to be connected with rest of the country through rail route by August this year, he added. The convention was jointly organized by the CPI(M) Cachar-Hailakandi and Karimganj district committees demanding early implementation of the BG and East West Corridor projects. The veteran CPI(M) leader said development in this part of the world cannot be possible when the speed of a train in a 110-year-old railway track is a mere 18 km per hour. The lifeline of the about one crore people living in this Valley is still neglected, he said. Even the maintenance of the present metre gauge track has been neglected, he said, adding that the construction of the meter gauge coach has been stopped by Railway factories. Acharya said that he is going to suggest a Silchar-Agartala inter-city express by introducing a new metre gauge coach. Acharya, describing his recent visit to the project sites, said the progress of work is very poor. Meanwhile, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today met NF Railway General Manager (construction) today and assured him of providing security in NC Hills. CPI(M) MP from Tripura Bajubal Riang, who also attended the convention, said out of the 68 sites of the ongoing project requiring security, the State Government has so far provided security in only 32 sites, which reflects the lack of sincerity on the part of Dispur. He added that the condition of National Highway 44 connecting Tripura is deplorable and demanded that the highway be converted to a four-lane one. CPI(M) MP from Tripura Khagen Das said that the Railways are a symbol of national unity and it is due to the callous attitude of Delhi and Dispur that the national integrity is at stake. He said that due to non-availability of rail connectivity, the region has been deprived of balanced development, leading to the sense of frustration in the minds of people. The CPI (M) State unit member Deben Bhattacharjee said his party is concerned with the connectivity problem in south Asom. He said the people of Brahmaputra Valley will join hands with the people of the Barak Valley in the struggle for getting the broad gauge line on time.
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