Barak valley, Tripura protestors in Jantar Mantar demand direct Guwahati-Mizoram train
The protestors submitted a memorandum to Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw also demanding the beginning of the construction of the proposed Chandranathpur-Lanka second rail route
Hailakandi, March 7: A large number of people from Hailakandi, Sribhumi, and Cachar districts of the Barak Valley in southern Assam and Tripura under the banner of Silchar-Lumding Broadgauge Rupayan Sangram Committee on Thursday staged a three-hour demonstration from 10 am to 1 pm in the Jantar Mantar area of New Delhi and submitted a memorandum to the Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw demanding immediate introduction of a direct train from Guwahati to Bairabi (Mizoram) via Hailakandi district and starting of the construction of the proposed Chandranathpur-Lanka second rail route.
The convenor of the Committee Sushil Paul alleged that the NF Railway has not introduced any direct train to Hailakandi district and Mizoram and due to this, the people of Hailakandi and Mi-zoram are facing extreme difficulties. The passengers are to catch a train from Ba-darpur railway station of Sribhumi district spending huge amount of money. Paul said that a 12-hour Hailakandi district bandh has also been called by the Nagarik Adhikar Suraksha Samiti on April 8 for the introduction of a direct train from Guwahati. He said that the committee has been running a movement for this since 2016.
Paul further alleged that the construction of rail routes including bridges in Hailakandi and the State of Mizoram has many defects and are of poor quality. In 2023, an under-construction bridge under the NF Railway collapsed near Sairang in Mizoram killing at least 26 people. The collapse occurred while a steel girder was being launched at a height of about 100 metres above ground.
He threatened to intensify the movement if the railway authorities keep silence despite the repeated demands and the bandh call.
He further demanded the starting of the proposed Chandranathpur-Lanka rail route to avoid frequent disruption of connectivity in the Silchar-Lumding route during the summer and also said that this route will lessen the distance by around 30-35 kms.
It can be mentioned here that a 208-km-long rail route from Silchar-Chandranathpur to Lanka of Hojai has been proposed.
The Tripura convenor of the committee Sanjoy Choudhury said that their movement for the development of rail route will continue till its final implementation.