Wednesday 5 August, 2009

Assam assures security for train
service in southern N0rth East


Agartala : Assam government has assured to provide all out support to ensure safe movement of passenger trains between Lumbding and Badarpur as well as conversion of railway tracks to broad gauge, a visiting cabinet team of Assam here today said.

A five member delegation including three ministers led by Assam's Revenue Minister Dr Bhumidhar Barman visited Tripura to see the functioning of Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) constituted under the sixth schedule.

Dr Barman denied the allegation leveled against Assam govertment's lackadaisical attitude towards upgradation of train service in the trouble-torn N C Hill district of South Assam and inadequate security to Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) for safe and frequent movement of train upto Badarpur.

There was no point of difference in development of Northeast or Tripura's demand of early extension of railway link up to Sabroom in South most point of Tripura besides, gauge conversion and accelerated growth of railway network in southern part of Assam.

''Our government has already taken several initiatives to crackdown the militant outfits in hill sections while regularly pursuing for upgradation of railway service including conversion of metre gauge to broad gauge in Southern part of Assam, Tripura and Mizoram,'' Dr Barman said.

If required the Assam government would definitely go for a joint appeal with Tripura to the Centre because they were very keen to overall development of Northeast, he claimed, adding that they would again discuss the issue in the cabinet.

The train service was disrupted when Black Widow rebels targeted a goods train on April 10, killing two security personnel and injuring another.

Earlier, train services in this section were suspended from May 15, 2008 after militants of the outfit went on a killing spree targeting railway employees and those of construction companies engaged in gauge conversion work.

No comments: