Santosh Mohan Dev moves PM, gets panel formed

NC Hill firing echoes from Delhi 
Source:  Sentinel Assam
NEW DELHI, May 15: The Centre today assured Union Heavy Industries and Public Enterprise Minister Santosh Mohan Dev that it would ensure security to the people working at the two connectivity projects — the NH-54 and the Railway Gauge Conversion — in North Cachar Hills where killings by suspected DHD(J) militants continue unabated.

According sources, in the Cabinet meeting today, Dev sought intervention of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh into the situation in NC Hills where as many as 11 people were killed today putting the works of the two connectivity projects to a grinding halt. Without wasting any time, the Prime Minister asked his security advisor MK Narayanan to look into the matter and take immediate action whatever necessary. This was followed by a meeting between Dev and Narayanan during which the latter told Dev that he had already formed a core committee to look into the security aspects of workers of the two national projects in NC Hills. Narayanan told Dev that he would make the members of the committee public tomorrow. Narayanan further assured Dev that the Centre would ensure tight security at the project sites so as to ensure their timely completion.

Narayanan further said that Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and the Home Commissioner have been asked to send a detailed report on NC Hills situation to the Centre. “They have been asked to keep in touch with the Centre,” he added.

Meanwhile, Parliamentary Committee for Railways Chairman Basudev Acharya blamed it on the State Government for its failure to provide security to the workers at the project sites in NC Hills. Acharya also put the blame on the Centre as the two connectivity projects are national projects.

Surprisingly, the Rail Bhavan had no information on today’s attack on a train by militants in NC Hills. As Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav is in Singapore, this correspondent contacted the Railway Board Chairman as if to inform him of the incident. The Railway Board Chairman said that he would have to collect the information from the NF Railway.

Flyover

Silchar: The Union ministry of transport, shipping and national highway has cleared a proposal for raising a second flyover in South Assam’s Cachar district in Srikona village.

Black Widow strikes terror

The outfit, which has killed at least 55 people this year, has stepped up its attacks

Guwahati, May 18: The Black Widow is no ULFA (the United Liberation Front of Assam). Neither is it anywhere close in organisational strength to the two factions of the NSCN that are active in neighbouring Nagaland and Manipur. But when it strikes, it hits as hard as any other armed group in the Northeast.

This week, the group, which is fighting for an independent homeland for the Dimasa tribe, struck twice in a big way in the North Cachar Hill district, killing 23 people since Saturday last. On Sunday, the group attacked a railway construction site at Fiding and killed eight labourers and on Thursday, 10 truck drivers and helpers were killed at Umrongsho in the district.

Intelligence agencies put the total strength of the Black Widow—also known as the Dima Halam Daoga (J), with ‘J’ standing for its leader Jewel Gorlosa—at about 300. They are armed with about 100 AK-series rifles and a handful of rocket propelled grenade launchers.

Black Widow is a breakaway faction of the Dimasa outfit Dima Halim Daogah (DHD) and was formed after Jewel Garlossa, then DHD president, was defeated in a coup by Pranab Nunisa, the DHD military wing chief, on June 24, 2004. Nunisa’s faction, however, has been in a ceasefire with the government for over three years.

The Black Widow has become more aggressive following several major losses it suffered in the past few weeks, which included the arrest of its ‘deputy commander-in-chief’ Franky Dimasa from a locality in Guwahati on March 22. The police had also arrested one of its area commanders, Daniel Gorlosa, on March 18.

It was on March 24 that Assam Police Special Branch IG Khagen Sharma received a faxed message from the Black Widow commander declaring “unilateral ceasefire” for three months. The government, however, did not take this offer seriously because it was only on March 13 that the group had abducted five persons of a private company working on the East-West Corridor project.

While the group has killed at least 55 people in the district this year, they also alleged that 12 of its cadres were killed in an encounter with the army on May 10. The army, however, denied it, with its Four Corps HQ spokesman Lt Col Rajesh Kalia saying had it been true, the army would have been happy to claim such a success.

The outfit that survives by engaging in large-scale extortion from local businessmen, politicians and government employees, has of late been targeting contractors engaged by the Railways and the National Highways Authority of India. While the Railways are laying a new broad gauge track in the 100-year-old Lumding-Silchar hill section, the NHAI is working on the East-West Corridor up to Silchar in southern Assam through this troubled district.

Contractors working on these projects have often stopped work following renewed strikes by the militants. Last year, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi announced that ex-servicemen would be recruited as SPOs to protect these contractors. But so far, only 400 SPOs have been sent to the district.

The biggest advantage the Black Widow has is the difficult terrain of the North Cachar Hill district. The district incidentally has only four police stations and most of the places are inaccessible.

“The difficult terrain makes it difficult for us to keep a watch over the entire district,” said a senior officer in the Assam Police. But the militants are local boys who know the terrain well, he said. Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/story/311431.html

Both Dispur and Delhi ignore Assam hill district: leader

GUWAHATI, MAY 18: The Deputy Commissioner is on leave on health grounds, and the Superintendent of Police has gone abroad for training, “but even when they are here, the two top officers of the district hardly respond to what we say,” complained Depolal Hojai, Chief Executive Member of the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC), here on Sunday.

The NCHAC is the elected local government that runs the administration of the hill district under the provisions of the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution, with Hojai of the Autonomous State Demand Committee (ASDC), a regional political party, heading the Council.

“But even as we run the local government, the responsibility for maintaining law and order is vested with the State Government under the Sixth Schedule. But whenever there is any problem in the district, they tend to put the blame on us,” Hojai told The Indian Express here today. Hojai, whose ASDC party runs the Autonomous Council in coalition with the BJP, added that the Deputy Commissioner and SP also disregard the recommendations of the Autonomous Council on matters of law and order.

“While the law and order situation in the NC Hills has gone from bad to worse in the past few weeks, our feeling is that the Congress-led government in Dispur is happy over it. We had defeated and wrested the Autonomous Council from the Congress in the January elections. That is the reason why the state Government is not responding to us,” he said.

Ever since militants belonging to the Black Widow or DHD(J) group caused havoc in the hill district by targeting employees and contractors of the Indian Railways and the NHAI, the railways have suspended all operations in the NC Hills and have also evacuated its employees from there. As a result, work on two vital national projects—the broad-gauge track between Lumding and Silchar and the East-West Corridor—have come to a standstill. Yet, both Dispur and Delhi do not seem to bother, Hojai said.

The Lumding-Silchar Hill Section is like a lifeline for Barak Valley in southern Assam as well as for Mizoram, Tripura and south Manipur, with essential commodities including foodgrains and cement being transported by the railways through the single metre gauge track. On an average, six trains run between Lumding and Badarpur every day to transport various kinds of essential commodities.

These include four goods trains that, between them, carry about 2,880 tonnes of foodgrains, one rake of petroleum products, as well as sugar, cement, bitumen and raw materials for the HPC paper mill at Panchgram. Source: http://www.indianexpress.com/story/311382.html

Rail link to Barak Valley cut off

Source: Assam Tribune
GUWAHATI, May 15: In a fresh spate of violence unleashed by suspected Black Widow militants, at least 11 people have been gunned down in two separate incidents in North Cachar Hills this morning leading to total suspension of train services in the Lumding-Badarpur hills section for an indefinite period. Rail link between the Barak Valley and rest of the country has been completely cut off.
In view of the volatile situation in NC Hills, two special trains have been pressed into service to evacuate the railway workers from various rail heads in the hill section but not before a violent protest by hundreds of railway workers and their family members demanding security at divisional headquarters of NF Railway at Lumding.

First incident took place at around 7.30 pm between Kalachand and Mupa railway stations when suspected DHD (J) militants opened fired at a patrol train killing its driver NN Bora and seriously injured two others — assistant driver PK Deb and gangman Ramesh Takhuria. Both the injured have been shifted to the Lumding Railway Hospital, railway sources said.

This incident was followed by another attack by suspected DHD(J) militants at around 8 am at Kurnalangshu, about 20 km from Umrangshu, where at least 10 people have been gunned down. Four of them have been identified as truck drivers Shambhu Debnath (45), Baburan Singh (60), Ramkumar Shyam (35) and Norattom Das (40). All of them have been stated to be the residents of Lanka.
According to sources, the militants had anticipated a convoy of nine trucks loaded with cement and bamboo heading for Lanka from Umrangshu and set afire five of them. The militants dragged out the drivers and labourers from the trucks to the nearby jungle and fired on them indiscriminately from point blank range. Ten people died on the spot. At least six more labourers have been missing, police sources said.

According to Samir Goswami, chief public relation officer of NF Railway, in view of yesterday’s NC Hills bandh called by a few organizations demanding peace talks between the Government and the DHD(J), the petrol train has been sent to the hills section before resuming passenger train services. The patrol train left for Haflong from Lumding with 10 RPSF personnel and 20 engineering staff in its two compartments.

However, after crossing the tunnel near Mupa, the militants started indiscriminate firing when driver of the train NN Bora got down sensing something wrong in the rail truck. Despite being injured badly, Bora ran back to the engine of the train and pushed back it into the tunnel, saving the life of the passengers. But he could not survive as the militants continued firing targeting the train in the tunnel.

After the incident, Divisional Railway Manager SS Narayan, accompanied by other officials, rushed to the spot in a special train from Lumding. The Silchar-bound passenger train was controlled at Dibjobra station and sent back to Lumding. Likewise, the Lumding-bound train had been sent back to Silchar from Damchera station. Train services in the hill section have been suspended temporarily in view of the prevailing situation, the CPRO said.

Meanwhile, hundreds of agitated railway employees and their family members ransacked the railway control room, station office, divisional headquarters and officers rest house at Lumding at around 12.30 pm in protest of inadequate security to railway workers working in the hills section. About 10 vehicles have been damaged in the protest.

In view of the prevailing situation, the railway authorities provided two special trains — one from Lumding and other from Badarpur — to evacuate railway workers from various locations of the hills section to safer places, sources from Lumding said.

Tears flowed freely on Mother’s Day : Debojit Saha

Tears flowed freely on Mother’s Day

HSLC results on May 27

By Our Correspondent Source: Assam Tribune
 GUWAHATI, May 13 – Results of the High School Leaving Certificate/Assam High Madrassa examination for the year 2008 would be announced on May 27 at 11 am simultaneously in all the district headquarters of the State. The officer-in-charge of the examination centres have been asked to collect the results /Marksheets from their respective zones, informed a press release from the Board of Secondary Education, Assam (SEBA).

The press statement further clarified that no results will be available in the SEBA office on that day.

Rongali Bihu celebrated at Silchar

From Our Correspondent Assam Tribune
 SILCHAR, May 17 – Bihu dominates the cultural landscape of the entire State and it was reflected in Silchar town on May 10 and 11. On both the days there were lots of cultural activities with huge gatherings. This festival is being organised at Silchar town since 1950. It was organised in Deshabhakta Tarun Ram Phukan school premises.

On the first day, the flag of the festival was hoisted by Benudhar Bora, president of celebration committee which was followed by inauguration of cultural programme by KK Dutta, executive engineer, Pollution Control Board. On the first day there were lots of competitions.

On the next day evening the committee’s souvenir was released. After this the cultural activities took place. A lot of participants from the entire State participated in the celebration.

In his presidential address of Rongali Bihu Sanmelan committee, Benudhar Bora said that it is a great occasion that this Bihu festival is being organised after lots of hindrances. As it is the pride of Assamese people it should be part of Silchar town itself. But since years it has been found that this spirit is always present in the state. He further said that Bihu is a secular festival and all should come forward to be a part of this festival.

Karuna Thakuria, secretary of Rongali Bihu festival in Silchar said that there are lots of problems in organising this festival. On the two days there were several competitions like Bihugeet, Bongeet, Bahi Badan, Gagana Badan.

It’s good news for people of Assam. Four candidates from the soil of Assam have cleared Civil Service Examination, 2007. The results of the examinations conducted by the Union Public Service Commission have been declared on Friday. The successful candidates from the state are namely Nabanita Chakrabarty of Guwahati, Rahul Kakati from Sivasagar, Nayanjyoti Nath from Jamuguri in Sonitpur district, Nilav Chandra Sen Gupta from Roha in Nagaon. Source: Assam Times

Silchar Bypass project Delay with a Rs 63cr price tag
 

May 12: Procrastination, civic construction organisations’ favourite sport, just got a new price tag — Rs 63 crore.

The Silchar Bypass project, which was mooted in 1995, blueprinted in 2000 and has since firmly remained a plan on paper thanks to consistent dillydallying by various official agencies, will cost the exchequer Rs 63 crore more than its original estimate of Rs 100 crore if taken up now.

The organisations guilty of the delay are Cachar district administration, the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and Border Roads Organisation (BRO) under the Union ministry of the surface transport, shipping and highways.

The project was to link National Highways 53 and 54 stretching along the eastern and southern ends of Silchar town by a bypass for easing the growing traffic, which chokes the arterial roads.

Sources said the Border Road Task Force (BRTF)’s 36 battalion, an agency of the Border Roads Organisation, drew a blueprint in 2000 for the project.

“It had envisaged laying of a 5.5 metre wide road for the 20km long bypass. The road would take off at Ramnagar, about 6km west of Silchar, and terminate at Kasipur, about 10km on the eastern flank to link NH 53 and 54,” said the source.

While NH 53 links Silchar to Imphal, the NH 54 stretches from the town to Aizawl through the hills.

Sources in the 36 BRTF said the central agency lost its zest to undertake the construction, which was to have a long road bridge over the Barak at Sonabarighat, as the Cachar district administration continued to dilly-dally with acquisition of land.

The BRTF washed its hands off this bypass road construction scheme in 2003, alleging inordinate delay by the land settlement branch of the Cachar district administration in acquiring the land.

Thereafter, the Centre had to hand over this project to the state public works department’s national highway division.

The notification to transfer the responsibility to construct the road from the BRTF to the PWD was issued early last year.

Following a fresh survey by the NHAI, the total outlay of this project was re-estimated from its original Rs 100 crore to Rs 163 crore.

An NHAI official said the escalation was the price to be paid for the alleged lethargy on the part of the land settlement and acquisition branch of the Cachar deputy commissioner, which eventually delayed the execution of the scheme.

Official sources said Rs 10 crore had already been paid as compensation to the scores of landowners for the bypass project.

Anjan Chanda, the executive engineer of Cachar PWD (national highway division), said the construction was expected to begin sometime next winter.

The bypass project, which aims at diverting the flow of traffic from and to Manipur and Mizoram, is a high bridge over the Barak.

The state PWD (national highway division) has also chalked out a Rs 60 crore project to construct a flyover at Srikona village on the NH 53 over a railway track for easing the traffic to the town. Source: telegraph india

Night trains between Silchar and Lumding off rebel route

Nagaon, May 12: The night train between Silchar and Lumding became a casualty in Dima Halam Daogah’s latest cycle of attacks which claimed two more railway labourers in North Cachar Hills today.

Eight workers engaged in construction of railway quarters in Faiding, under the same police station as today’s site of attack in Migrengdisha, were gunned down by the Jewel Gorlosa faction of the Dimasa outfit yesterday afternoon.

The latest round of violence was triggered by an encounter between the outfit and the army on Saturday in which, according to the outfit, 12 rebels were killed.

The army, however, said it had not found a single body despite a massive search in the area after the encounter.

Continuing its killing spree, the outfit today opened fire on a team of labourers of Sachi Hitech at a construction site near Migrengdisha railway station.

An unskilled labourer, Dinesh Mahato, died on the spot, while his co-worker, Sanju Nunia, died of his injuries on his way to hospital.

Two others were admitted to Haflong Civil Hospital in a critical condition.

“All the labourers were engaged in the construction of a channel near the railway station when they were attacked by the militants,” said a senior police official in the district.

Following the DHD attacks, the railways decided to stop running night trains between Lumding and Badarpur through the North Cachar Hills district.

According to the railway sources here, the Cachar Express from Silchar to Guwahati via Lumding would steam off from the terminus at the Cachar headquarters at 4.40am every day till further instructions.

The Barak Valley Express will, however, continue to leave Silchar station every day at 8.25am.

A shaken Dispur rushed IGP (law and order) R. Chandranathan to review the situation.

An unconfirmed report said the outfit also sprayed bullets on a BSF camp in Umrangshu last night. There have been no reports of any casualty.

Not willing to take chances, Dispur posted commandant of the 2nd Assam Police Task Force Battalion, Prabin Chandra Saikia, as superintendent of police since the incumbent Dipak Kedia is on leave.

“We are keeping the Centre posted about the developments because of the projects and the objective now is to ensure the projects are not hampered,” a source said.

Union home minister Shivraj Patil, however, will bypass the “killing zone” of North Cachar Hills district when he arrives in the region on a two-day visit to Meghalaya and Nagaland tomorrow.

Home secretary Madhukar Gupta said the home minister would not visit Assam as he has a packed schedule in Shillong tomorrow.

“Many visits have already been made to Assam but since there have been killings by militants the Centre is constantly in touch with the state. We will see if there is any need for a team to visit,” said Gupta.

Cachar Cancer Hospital a boon for needy patients

KARIMGANJ, May 12 – Cachar Cancer Hospital and Research Centre under the management of the Cachar Cancer Hospital Society is poised to become one of the premier cancer treatment centres in the country.

Founded in 1992 at the initiative of a small group of social activists and a few doctors, the Cachar Cancer Society waged a relentless battle against the dreaded disease in the Barak Valley and adjoining areas. It was an uphill task but due to indefatigable efforts and financial sustenance received from many quarters, the Cancer Society took roots and is currently aiming high to become one of the premier cancer treatment centres in the country dispensing treatment at an affordable cost.

Recently, Dr Ravi Kannan, an eminent oncologist has taken over as the Director of this hospital. At a press meet recently, Dr Chinmay Chaudhury, general secretary provided a brief outline of the progress of the society from 1992 till date. Dr Kannan spoke highly of the achievements of the Cachar Cancer Hospital and also outlined his plan for the future. With few more facilities added, the Cachar Cancer Hospital would be in a position to offer quality treatment at an affordable cost. He said that a surgery of the esophagus at any major centre of the country would cost at least Rs 1.5 lakh whereas the same operation could be done here at a cost of only Rs 20,000. Source: Assam Tribune
 

Karimganj BJP threatens stir over Malegarh fencing issue
From Debasish Banik
 BADARPUR, May 12 – In protest against keeping the historic Karimganj Malegarh out of barbed wire fencing agenda, the Bharatiya Janata Party of Karimganj unit and Barak Banga have jointly threatened to launch a strong movement. In this connection, the BJP has already submitted a memorandum to Karimganj Deputy Commissioner, in which, it has mentioned that historic Karimganj Malegarh, near Latu in Karimganj district, could not be kept out of barbed wire fencing. “If the government does not change its decision immediately, then the party will be bound to start a widespread movement alongwith all sections of people,” it said.

Expressing the deep concern, BJP’s general secretary Sudhangsu Das, vice-president of the Yuva Morcha State Committee Sudip Chakraborty, Mahila Morcha president, Sipra Goon and several other leaders of the party told this correspondent that on June 23, 2007 the party celebrated the 150 years of Sepoy Mutiny, hoisting the National flag. During the function of 150 years of Sepoy Mutiny, several speakers in their speeches strongly urged the Central Government to keep the historical Malegarh within the jurisdiction of India. But even after that, the Central Government gave the order to keep the historical Malegarh out of barbed wire fencing to the astonishment of the BJP leaders.

They also said that, the matter has already been informed to MLA Mission Ranjan Das.

Meanwhile, a large number of people of Latu-Malegarh area met with the members of Barak Banga and requested them to take immediate steps to keep the historical Malegarh within India’s jurisdiction, as the people of that area will face hardships in future if the historical place is not fenced.

Talking to this correspondent, the Karimganj district committee secretary of Barak Upatyaka Banga Sahitya-O-Sanskriti Sammelan, Sabba Sachi Roy informed that as per demand of the Barak Banga, the Central Government has sanctioned Rs 20 lakh for setting up a tourism centre at Malegarh of Karimganj. After that a delegation of Assam Tourism Development Corporation (ATDC) made an expenditure plan of Rs 20 lakh, visiting the Malegarh and sent it to the Central Government. Besides this, the former State Tourism Minister Misbahul Islam Laskar also inspected the historical site and advised setting up of a tourism centre at Malegarh. Source: Assam Tribune

Railways to seek security on the Lumding-Silchar-Jiribam gauge conversion project.

New Delhi, May 13: Home minister Shivraj Patil stressed on an integrated security system for vital installations yesterday but the railways are not part of that integration it seems.

Waking up to repeated attacks on labourers working on railway projects in Assam, the ministry of railways will this week write to the ministry of home affairs for additional security on the Lumding-Silchar-Jiribam gauge conversion project.

Sources in the railway ministry conceded that work on the national project has stopped following killings in the last three days.

Both Delhi and the Assam government have lost face on their commitment to provide security to labourers who are mostly Hindi-speaking people.

Even as two more labourers were killed today in the North Cachar Hills district, the railway ministry woke up to the worsening situation by deciding to write to the home ministry.

The needle of suspicion for the killings points to the DHD (Jewel Gorlosa) or the Black Widow group.

After 12 of its members were killed by security forces last week, the militant group is allegedly on the rampage again. However, security forces are not ruling out the involvement of other groups.

The railways have, however, refused to take up liability of the deceased labourers. Railway ministry sources said the contractors would provide compensation to the deceased.

The dual projects of Lumding-Silchar-Jiribam and Badarpur-Kumarghat in Assam and Tripura are estimated to cost Rs 1,181 crore. The deadline for implementation is March 2011.

However, following sustained attacks by militants, work and shifting of responsibility between the Centre and the state leaves the project on uncertain ground.

“The work is adversely affected because of militant activities. The security cover at all the sites is yet to be provided by the Assam government,” a railway ministry reply in Rajya Sabha on April 25, stated.

Till now, earthwork and work on tunnels and bridges were in progress making it an extremely labour-intensive project. The Assam government has argued that the contractors have not offered accommodation to security forces.

With a solution not in sight and even home minister Shivraj Patil bypassing the area to visit Meghalaya and Nagaland, the national railway project is held to ransom by militants.

The project will provide connectivity to the entire Barak Valley as well as to Mizoram.

Railway connectivity in Manipur will also depend on when a railway track will reach Jiribam.

Patil stressed on the need for an integrated security system for vital installations at a daylong conference on Security of Installations in Key Sectors, mainly comprising oil & natural gas, power, and port sectors organised by the ministry of home affairs. Source: telegraph india
 

Anandita steals the show in HS science

Gogoi should quit over NC Hills violence: BJP
By A City Correspondent Source: Assam Tribune
GUWAHATI, May 14 – Condemning the recent escalation of violence in the NC
Hills district, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Assam Pradesh on
Tuesday said that Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi should accept the
responsibility of the bloodbath and step down from office immediately on
moral grounds.

The BJP, while expressing deep concern at the prevailing situation in the
hill district said that the Congress government’s failure to improve law
and order in the hill district will hamper all future developmental
activities in the State. “The recent incidents and the subsequent
developments will go against the interest of the State,” said the BJP.

It may be mentioned here that the killings in the hill district has
triggered an all-pervading fear psychosis which has led to the exodus of
labourers engaged in the ongoing railway and road projects. Work has come
to a halt with the terrorist outfit Black Widow targeting the labourers
engaged in the projects.

Terming the government’s inability in providing security to the labourers
engaged in the projects as shameful, the BJP has asked the government to
resign.

“In the last eight years, the government has failed to initiate any
pragmatic steps to resolve the insurgency problem,” accused the BJP.

NBCC-BSNL row in Silchar

Source: Assam Tribune
 KARIMGANJ, May 12 – Due to lack of coordination between NBCC and BSNL, the execution of the road construction work in Silchar has been delayed. This allegation has been leveled by AK Chanda, Executive Engineer of PWD(NH) Division.

He alleged that BSNL created obstruction by digging holes in many parts of the road. NBCC was entrusted to execute the construction of drain with footpath from Ukilpath to Holy Cross School. They got order last year but 11 months have gone and only 8 per cent work has been completed. Initially it was decided that 20 mm thick bitumen layer will be laid on the Capital-Holy Cross road.

But later, Union Minister SM Deb instructed the concerned authority to increase the layer up to 75 mm. For the purpose Union Surface Ministry has increased the sanctioned amount from Rs 539.24 lakh to Rs 562.80 lakh.

Laying of underground cable line by BSNL is going on but progress of work is not satisfactory. In order to overcome all the hurdles, AK Chanda urged the DC Cachar to extent his influences. However, DC Gautam Ganguly convened a meeting with the BSNL and other concerned departments and instructed the BSNL authorities to expedite their underground cable line work immediately.

Silchar women Taruna Roy harassed by CISF official at Kolkata airport

Airport ordeal for mom and baby
8 May 2008, 0411 hrs IST,TNN

Badarpur BJP threatens stir over rail division

From Our Correspondent Assam Tribune
 BADARPUR, May 8 — The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of Badarpur mandal committee and the party’s Karimganj district unit have threatened that if the railway authority and the Central Government decide to set up a rail division at Dharamnagar of Tripura, instead of the Barak Valley railway subdivisional headquarter town of Badarpur, then it would launch a widespread mass movement. This was stated by the BJPs organising general secretary of Badarpur mandal committee Dipak Dev, while talking to this correspondent.

Dev said, “We must oppose the decision, regarding to setting up of rail division at Dharmanagar of Tripura, instead of Badarpur, as it is a very vital and genuine demand of the people of Badarpur, as well as the people of the entire Karimganj district since long. The BJP leader also stated that for upgradation of Badarpur railway subdivision into Badarpur railway division, several memorandums were submitted and movements were held a few years ago. But due to slackness on the part of the railway administration, State and Central Governments, Barak Valley MLA-MPs and ministers, and the lack of mass awareness regarding the matter, the Badarpur railway subdivision has not yet been upgraded.

Dev also said that the matter of upgradation from Badarpur railway subdivision to Badarpur rail division cannot be rejected at all as it is a very important and railway centre in north-eastern region.

Replying to another question, the BJP leader said that “for last 20 years, Badarpur people as well as the people of Karimganj district have been demanding setting up of Badarpur railway division, alongwith all sorts of facilities. In this connection, several memorandums were submitted and movements were also held, but the Badarpur people got nothing, except assurances till today.

Dev said that “we will not agree with the railway’s view that lack of essential sufficient land is the only obstacle for setting up a railway division and loco-shed at Badarpur as there are acres of sufficient railway land at Badarpur which has been occupied forcefully by the people. So, in this situation, these forcefully occupied railway lands must have to be evicted through a mutual solution by the railway administration and State government. If it is done, then, the requirement of railway lands will be fulfilled easily for constructing a railway divisional office, four guest houses, loco-shed, and the railway quarters for railway officials and railway employees, which are essential for setting up a railway division at Badarpur,” he said.

The BJP leader also informed this correspondent that “On the issue of Badarpur railway division, the Assam Government will have to put pressure on the Central Government.

Dev also stated that the district BJP is also agitated and perturbed due to Central Government’s announcement of upgradation of the 33 railway stations in the entire north-easte as model stations, excluding the Badarpur railway station, which is a railway subdivisional headquarter town of Barak Valley.

Dev also said that Badarpur and Karimganj railway stations will have to be included in the list of model stations, otherwise a widespread mass movement will be launched, alongwith the demand of speedy implementation of setting up of Badarpur railway division.”

Rail link between Sylhet, Karimganj demanded

From Our Correspondent Assam Tribune
 KARIMGANJ, May 8 – With a view to improve socio-economic conditions of Barak Valley, Tripura, Mizoram and Manipur the District BJP Committee demanding restoration of rail communication between Karimganj and Bangladesh.

In a memorandum submitted to Lalu Prasad, Railway Minister, Karimganj District BJP Committee mentioned that these underdeveloped region would be benefited if railway communication is restored between Karimganj and Sylhet in Bangladesh.
 

Development projects of Cachar dist reviewed

From Our Correspondent Assam Tribune
 SILCHAR, May 8 – Deputy Commissioner, Cachar, Gautam Ganguli, expressed satisfaction over the various on-going projects in the entire district, at a meeting organised in the conference hall, Deputy Commissioner.

In the meeting, Additional Deputy Commissioner, Cachar, B Dutta, Zila Parisad, CEO, Sadhana Hojai and Superintendent of Police Violet Baruah were also present.

Ganguli, at the onset reviewed the Mahasadrak Project, and found the progress satisfactory. The land purchase for this highway has already been completed. The purchased land has already been handed over to National Highway Authority of India which looking over the entire project.

At present, 25,875 kilometer land has been purchased. The land purchase has been done into two phases.

Ganguli further said that the world of National Highway are progressing speedily. The construction of RCC bridge in the Dulu Tea Estate will be completed very soon. The second phase work has not started, but will start very shortly, he said.

“Regarding Broad Gauge project, the Cachar administration is very conscious. For this project, 174 bigha and 8 katha land have been given to railway department”, Ganguli said.

In the meeting, it was revealed that Silchar Bypass project was neglected in the authorities. As per information received, the work earlier was given to BRTF, but it was unable to do that. Now the project has been given to PWD (NH) Division for immediate completion. The total estimated cost of the project is Rs 11.37 crore.

Ganguli also reviewed the development of health department. Doctors, pharmacist, ANM have been deployed in the various tea estates by the entire district. As per information received, the salaries of these persons will be paid by State government for one year.
 

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