Guwahati, May 24 : A desperate Dispur today sought the Centre’s intervention to resume train services through the North Cachar Hills district and provide additional security personnel by formally moving the PMO, home ministry, defence ministry and the Railway Board.
The missives were prompted by the flood of SOS messages from the Barak Valley districts, Tripura and Mizoram warning of a looming food crisis. There are also fears of further delay to the two national projects — the gauge conversion and East West Corridor — conceived to boost the overall economy of the backward district.
Sources said it was important to seek the Centre’s intervention as Dispur, which has also promised better security to railway personnel and stations, is also in constant touch with NF Railway since services were disrupted on May 15.
Militants belonging to the Jewel Gorlosa faction had attacked a patrol train near Mupa station and killed the locomotive’s driver. The group had also lined up and gunned down 10 truckers that day.
Though Dispur has not received any response from the Centre, it is hopeful of a positive result in the “next few” days. “Since the Centre is closely monitoring the two projects of late, it is now only natural it displayed the same concern vis-à-vis suspension of services,” a source said.
Railway sources here reiterated that they were “actually” keen on resuming services but it was equally concerned about the safety of its employees. “As soon as the employees regain their confidence of running trains in this vulnerable section, services will be resumed immediately,” the source said. The railways will acquire eight to 10 bullet-proof jackets for the drivers and bullet-proof sheets and glass to protect the locomotive cabs in the first phase.
“We are organising these on our own. At a meeting held with police and the administration on May 18, it was decided that armed forces would be stationed in engine rooms and guards’ cabins in running trains and along vulnerable stretches, besides at a few selected stations. The confidence of our employees has taken quite a beating,” one of them said.
On an average, five pairs of goods trains and three pairs of passenger trains ply through the vulnerable stretch.
Reports suggest that it was not only the May 15 incident but a series of incidents since March 24 that has upset the employees. “It is not that we do not know about the impact of the suspension. We are in constant touch with the government here and the railway ministry,” the source said.
Telegraph India
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