Lumding-Badarpur rail service soon

GUWAHATI, July 28 – The NF Railway is making efforts to start the metre gauge passenger train services very shortly on Lumding-Badarpur-Silchar section which had been cancelled from May 15 due to frequent ‘law-and-order’ incidents resulting in death of Railway staff, including the driver of a train. This was stated in a press release.It is now proposed to run a day service between Lumding and Haflong and back and Silchar and Haflong and back. For the convenience of large numbers of long-distance passengers, the night service of Cachar Express is also planned to be restored. This, however, will be done with some change in timings and the train will leave around 3 pm or so from either side so that short-distance passengers can travel.Since night patrolling of track is not possible for security reasons, the train is planned to be run at restricted speed of about 15 kmph, duly stopping at all stations.Detailed timings and the date of restoration of services are being finalized.In the meantime, all other necessary inputs are being put in place. The night train will be run with a bullet proof engine, the release added.More coaches: The North East Frontier Railway has informed that additional AC 3-tier coach was attached to South-bound 2510/2509 Guwahati-Bangalore Express. The 2508/2507 Guwahati-Ernakulum Express and 2516/2515 Guwahati-Trivandrum Express will be continued up to August 31. source: assam tribune

Suspension of trains hits Lumding-Badarpur route passengers

HAFLONG, July 28 – The people of entire southern Assam, Tripura, Manipur, etc., have been facing untold sufferings due to suspension of passenger trains between Lumding-Badarpur hill section of NF Railway following militants attack on Railwaymen during May last.The running of passengers train in this section was suspended from May 15 last, when the DHD(J) killed few railway men including driver of a train. Employees from most of the stations were also shifted to safer places. Several union bodies of the Railway personnel have opposed to work in hill section without proper security.Following the demands from neighboring states the railway began to run few goods trains to meet the supply of grains and buffer stock for these states. But the railway authority is still not in a mood to run passengers trains through this violence hit district of NC Hills.Talking to this correspondent, Sri Rakhal Dasguta , General Secretary, Mazdur Union, NF Railway, said “We are also concerned for the sufferings of the people but we cannot push our people to the jaws of death. Our people are always ready to work but at the same time we want proper security to our people.”It is learnt that the employees who were shifted from this section have returned to their respective place of posting except Phiding, Kalachand and Wadrengdisa station. source: assam tribune

Sarkar help sought on rail project

Agartala, July 5: A delegation of All Cachar Karimganj Hailakandi Students’ Association has sought the intervention of Tripura chief minister Manik Sarkar to expedite completion of the broad-gauge railway line between Lumding and Silchar.A delegation comprising the president of the student outfit, Rupam Nandi Purkayastha, general secretary Pervez S. Mazumder and secretary Biswajit Deb met Sarkar here this morning and submitted a memorandum.They urged him to take up the issue with the Union government and pointed out that unless the gauge conversion was completed along this stretch, the states of Tripura, Manipur and Mizoram would remain deprived of broad gauge connectivity.The memorandum appreciated the completion of laying of railway tracks upto Agartala and commencement of railway service but regretted that in spite of being undertaken almost simultaneously a decade ago, the gauge conversion between Lumding and Silchar has made little progress.The delegation also recalled how former CPM MP Ajay Biswas had raised the issue of a central university for Silchar in the Lok Sabha.Sarkar assured the delegation of his support and promised to take up the issue with the Centre. source: telegraph india

Monkey creating problem in Silchar town’s Central Road

Mauled

Silchar: A monkey landed in Silchar town’s Central Road on Monday night and mauled three children. He snatched food from the domestic kitchens and roadside eateries. Police said a joint move with the district forest staff would be under way to get hold of this monkey.

Why, Mr Santosh Mohan Dev?

By our Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI, May 19: In a book release function held in Silchar on May 16, Union Minister Santosh Mohan Dev, who represents Silchar in the Lok Sabha, gave a clarion call to the people of Barak Valley to launch an agitation so as to force the completion of the Broad Gauge and East-West Corridor projects, which have been affected due to militancy in NC Hills district. But agitation against whom? Obviously against the government of the day. And who is leading the government — both at Dispur and New Delhi? It is the Congress. And who is Mr Santosh Mohan Dev? A Congress MP from Silchar who is a minister in the Congress-led UPA government at the Centre, and who is thus a part of the government. Which means Mr Dev is calling upon the people of Barak Valley to agitate against none but himself and his party!

The Silchar MP is either trying to conceal his own incompetence or making a shrewd move to provoke his own people and divert their attention so that his accountability as their representative is not questioned. Here is an MP trying to make a fool of his own constituency. Will the people be taken for a ride? Source: Sentinel Assam 20.05.08