RailEnquiry

Dhubri, July 17: Resentment is growing among the people of Dhubri as work on the new railway track between Gauripur and Jogighopa remains stalled owing to non-sanction of funds by the railway ministry.

Part of the project — from New Cooch Behar to Dhubri — was completed in 2011 but the rest of the work — from Gauripur to Jogighopa — is taking forever to complete, said the New Moinaguri-Jogighopa Railway Demand Committee.

The joint convener of the committee, Tazmul Haque, told RailNews that the Union railway ministry had sanctioned Rs 887 crore for the project in its 2000-2001 budget.

“It has been 12 years now but project still remains incomplete though the budget has already crossed Rs 1,000 crore. When we sent our last deputation to then Union railway minister Dinesh Trivedi in 2011, we were assured that funds would flow till the project was completed,” Haque said.

The deadline for completion of the project is 2014 but allotted funds have been exhausted and work is stalled, Haque said.

The railway ministry should release the requisite fund immediately on the priority basis in the greater public interest of this part of Assam and complete it without any further delay or else demand committee would be compelled to announce agitation programmes, Haque warned.

The general manager of NF Railway (Maligaon), R.S. Virdi, reiterated that work was not progressing for lack of funds. “After reallocation of funds, work will be started,” Virdi said.

In another development, the Bashbari unit of Absu is unhappy with the route change of the Rajya Rani Express that runs between Dhubri and Silghat thrice a week. “The train used to run between Dhubri and Bongaigaon on gap days. But now, the train is running between Dhubri and Alipur since yesterday,” said Absu unit secretary Sandip Kumar Brahma.

Unit president Bijoy Kumar Brahma said this train had developed the rail communication between Dhubri and Bongaigaon and benefited the people of Basbari.

“This train should be again brought back to its earlier route and the route of the Chilarai passenger train should be brought up to Dhubri. This train currently runs between New Bongaigaon and Guwahati, so this train could easily be extended to Dhubri, ” Brahma said.