ProUI

Siliguri, June 24: Forty gold bars weighing 14.54kg and worth Rs 3.94 crore, were found stuffed in the hollow metal handles of trolley bags belonging to four persons at the NJP railway station.
The Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) suspects the gold bars were smuggled into India from Myanmar.
The four persons, who have been arrested, had boarded the Dibrugarh-Howrah Kamrup express in Guwahati. A couple from Bihar, their 17-year-old daughter and a man from Dum Dum, Calcutta, were caught at NJP with the four trolley bags.
A senior DRI official said: “They had done it (hiding the gold) quite cleverly. The gold was in the form of 40 small bars. Each was wrapped in a carbon paper that was then stuck with black tape. After the packing, the bars were stuffed in the trolley’s handles, which are hollow. We detached the handles from the trolleys and found all the gold bars.”
The bars are between 350gm and 370gm in weight.
The Bihar couple and the Calcutta resident have been remanded in judicial custody for 14 days. The girl’s custody has been given to the juvenile justice board as she is a minor.
DRI sources said the agency had a tip-off on the possible arrival of smuggled gold on the Kamrup Express. DRI officials said there were 40 bars, which together weighed 14.54kg. The total value of the gold would be Rs 3.94 crore, according to the price of 24carat gold in Calcutta today.
A DRI official in Calcutta said: “This is the biggest seizure in the recent past.”
Some DRI officials in Calcutta said that gold was procured from Dubai and Bangkok because it is cheaper there than in India. It is smuggled in through Myanmar.
“By smuggling in the gold, the criminals do not have to pay duty. In addition, they buy the gold at a cheaper price,” the DRI official said.
The officials added that the gold was smuggled in from Myanmar because it is easier to get it in through the border that Assam and Manipur share with that country, especially because of the presence of Shan and Kachin rebels in Mynamar who are also involved in smuggling.
Ratan Banik, a lawyer for the DRI, said the gold was on the way to Calcutta to be sold.
“The DRI had prior information that the gold was being smuggled to Calcutta and raided the train around 8pm yesterday. They took into custody four passengers. Each of them was carrying a trolley bag,” Banik said.
Three of the arrested were identified as Vijay Kumar, 42, his wife Chandana Devi, 40, and Prahlad Soni, 43, a resident of Dumdum in Calcutta.
Along with them was Vijay and Chandana’s daughter, who has not been named as she is a minor.The family hails from Rohtas district, Bihar.
Banik said that during the interrogation, the four told DRI officers that they were carrying smuggled gold that they had been given in Guwahati.
“They also said the gold had been brought illegally from Myanmar and they intended to sell it in Calcutta,” said the lawyer.
At first, when the DRI sleuths opened the bags, they only found garments. But the accused told them that the gold was stuffed in the metal handles of the bags.
The DRI suspects the four worked for an organised racket.
The Bihar couple and Prahlad were charged under Section 135 (evasion of duty or prohibitions by carrying any goods) of the Customs Act.

Nearly nine years ago when, Sharanappa Yalal relocated his base to Kashmir as the project manager of the 11 km Pir Panjal railway tunnel, the longest in India, most locals told him, it was never going to happen. Yet after a three-year delay, technical snags and several complications, the Rs 800-crore project is all set to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh tomorrow.Besides the one of its kind tunnel, the Rs 1,800-crore Uri 240 MW Hydroelectric project, situated very close to the line of control, is also expected to take off very soon. It is learnt that the inauguration of the hydro-power project has been removed from the itinerary of the PM due to some technical snags.  The horse shoe shaped diversion tunnel, created for generating hydropower, will benefit Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi and Chandigarh. Around 13% of the power generated will go to Jammu & Kashmir.Both projects have been executed by the Hindustan Construction Company, which had also undertaken the Bandra-Worli sea link project in Mumbai.The Pir Panjal tunnel, which runs below the 2.5 kms long Jawahar tunnel, connects Bichelri valley of Banhial in Jammu with Quazigund in Kashmir and it is expected to link J&K to the Indian railway network through the year. It is a part of the 345-km long Jammu Udhampur Srinagar Baramulla Railway Link, aimed at connecting Jammu with Baramulla “Earlier due to snowfall, Jawahar tunnel would have to be closed during the winter months. But Pir Panjal tunnel is at a lower height and long enough to keep snowfall at bay,” Yalal said.

He added that the project will be very helpful for the army personnel and their cargo movement from one place to another. While both projects are of strategic importance to India, the local businesses and trade also stands to benefit by improved rail connectivity. Irtif Lone, a Srinagar based businessman said, “The freight rates would come down for raw materials if goods are brought on rail instead of trucks. This has been one hurdle to industrialisation of Kashmir. Besides, it will impact the prices of commodities also.”

Engineering Marvel

Drilling into the capricious rocks was not an easy task for both the projects. At various points the technical team encountered problems of seepage, softer topography of the rocks which made the work difficult. The Pir Panjal Tunnel projects boasts of using technology never used before in India for “safe tunneling.”

New Australian Tunneling Method was brought in for observing three-dimensional movement of the rocks and avoiding collapses whenever weaker rock was being drilled. The tunnel has also used the ballast less tracks which are easy on maintenance.

A three-metre wide road runs alongside the track inside the tunnel as a safety measure to keep the tunnel accessible under all circumstances. The tunnel walls are lined with a water proofing membrane brought from Italy for seeping water that gets drained outside, keeping the all weather tunnel dry and flood-free.

However, all the technical experiments did not pay of that well. For instance the two road headers brought in from Germany was not of much use and had to be scrapped at the end.   Tough ground to work on

Technical challenges aside, construction or any industrial activity in Kashmir comes with its own set of problems. The Uri –II Hydroelectric project in 2005 was not off to the best start with the earthquake taking a huge toll on the lives and property in the Valley. Security issues also played their part in slowing down the pace of the project.

The proximity of the dam to the Line of Control meant that the checks on movement of labour and officers working on the project were much more stringent that usual. Besides, for days together all construction work would come to a halt to the stone pelting incidents which were rife in Kashmir during 2010.

Both project combined employed 2,700 labourers who worked in three shifts all throughout the day and year. Skilled manpower came in short supply. Retaining them was another problem, since workers would leave the site for other jobs like farming or return to the villages when the winter came.

While the snowfall during the peak winters did not bring the construction activity to a complete halt, it drastically slowed down activity. Work, also had to be stopped during the Amarnath Yatra. Amid all this, getting the logistics in place and keeping the smooth supply of raw materials was a major challenge due to poor connectivity. Challenges Ahead

With several dams now constructed on the Jhelum river, Pakistan has gone for international arbitration against such moves, since it reduces the flow of water to the neighboring country. India so far has maintained its stand that it will adhere to the minimum level of flow required. Although odds are in the favour of India, final decision on the matter is yet to be made by the international court.

There are also reservations among the localites on whether trains from Baramulla to Qazigund will be able to have a smooth run when it snows, outside of the tunnel. For power situation also, not many are upbeat as it does not yet mean that the power cuts will reduce in the smaller towns and villages of Jammu and Kashmir.

“I don’t think there will be any significant impact on the power situation in the state. For so much that we generate we get so little since everything goes to the central grid,” Lone added.

The South Western Railway is organising a seven-day photography exhibition from June 25 at the Government Museum and Venkatappa Art Gallery, Kasturba Road, Bangalore, to commemorate 160 years of Indian Railways.

The Railway Board’s much-criticised move to sell the Havelock Bridge has been kept in abeyance. Railway Minister Mallikarjun Kharge on Sunday asked board officials to first conduct a proper review.Congress MP from Rajahmundry Vundavalli Arun Kumar told The Hindu he he had talked to Union Minister for Railways Mallikharjuna Kharge on Sunday and apprised him of the public sentiment against the Board’s decision to dismantle the bridge and sell the steel.

BUILD-OPERATE-TRANSFER

Mr. Arun Kumar said the State government wanted to lease the bridge’s ownership rights under a public private partnership.He said he would speak to the Union Tourism Minister and the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister to take up the Havelock Bridge as a tourism project under Build-Operate-Transfer system.

Security forces have decided to intensify patrolling on a 100-km stretch along the south-eastern part of the state to protect trains from Naxalite and criminal attacks.
Additional director-general of police (law and order) S.K. Bharadwaj on Monday told The Telegraph: “The attack by suspected CPI (Maoist) cadres on the 13331 Dhanbad-Patna Intercity Express in Jamui district on June 13 has prompted us to take this decision.”
The attack, in which around 100 Maoists, including women cadres, took part, claimed three lives, including that of a Railway Protection Special Force (RPSF) officer. The rebels also looted two automatic assault rifles from the escort party in the train.
“After the attack, the police and railway authorities have reviewed security in the trains on the route. It has been found that the south-eastern stretch of Bihar, which starts from the Bihar-Jharkhand border and includes Naxalite-affected districts like Jamui, Banka, Munger and Lakhisarai, are a soft target for the rebels as well as criminals.
“There have been many attacks on trains in these areas. Hence, both the police and the railways have decided to concentrate more on these areas,” Bharadwaj said.
He said the 100-km stretch, which mostly runs parallel to the railway lines and the stations in these districts, has been earmarked for intensified security.
“The route is being finalised. At present, the whole stretch will be 100-km-long and will include the railway stations and railway tracks. We have conducted studies and calculations and this stretch mostly runs parallel to the railway track, barring at a few places. Both the police and the railways will be choosing five points along the whole route and there will be a contingent of 100 jawans of central paramilitary forces, district police and special forces like the CoBRA battalion at each of these five points.
“Their job would be to ensure that the trains and the passengers remain safe from any kind of attacks. The final plan will be ready soon,” Bharadwaj said.

A golden opportunity has been given by the Railway Board to end the problems of Waltair Division. The Board has sent a letter to the East Coast Railway (ECoR) Zone headquarters in Bhubaneswar seeking information on issues like: the number of platforms in Visakhapatnam Railway Station, number of trains handled, pressure on the railway station, and the advantage of having additional platforms.The Board was convinced of the need to lay a third line between Visakhapatnam and Gopalapatnam and construction of four additional platforms to prevent the detention of trains, according to sources. Though the number of platforms was increased from five to eight a few years ago, Visakhapatnam being a terminal station needs more platforms.The Board also felt that the creation of the additional facilities would also solve most of the traffic problems and would come in handy in case a new zone with Visakhapatnam as headquarters was created .

The Zone has written to the Divisional authorities seeking their comments, in detail, on issues covering various aspects like: justification for the new platforms, new line, operational requirements, commercial viability and technical feasibility. It had sought an early reply but it’s learnt that the Divisional authorities are yet to respond.

The construction of additional platforms and third line to Gopalapatnam can end most of the problems like holding up of trains beyond Gopalapatnam due to non-availability of platforms and also rule out the need to divert through trains via Duvvada and end the woes of hundreds of passengers of the city.

It’s high time that the Divisional authorities concerned acted immediately on the issue.

Our MPs should also take up the issue on a priority and bring pressure on the authorities to address the long-pending problem.

“We haven’t received any such letter so far,” Divisional Railway Manager Anil Kumar told The Hindu on Monday.


It’s high time MPs pressurise authorities to solve long-pending problems of the rail division

Guwahti: CPI (M)’s youth wing, Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), on Sunday slammed the Centre for delay in completion of railway projects in the northeast.

The Tripura and Assam units of DYFI have decided to stage demonstration before the Northeast Frontier Railways headquarters at Maligaon here on August 7. In the demonstration, they will demand the early completion of railway projects.

Tapas Dutta, president of DYFI Tripura unit, has told that broad gauge conversion of tracks in South Assam is an important railway projects, but it is still incomplete.

In a shocking incident, Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer Gagan Behari Swain died after he came under a  passenger train at Bhubaneswar Railway Station here on Monday afternoon.

Swain was serving as Additional Secretary in the Planning and Coordination (P&C) Department of the State Government.

Preliminary reports from the Government Railway Police (GRP) said, he allegedly hurled himself in front of the train. A case of unnatural death has been lodged and investigation is underway. The incident took place at about 5.30 pm. Swain, who was at platform no 3 came in front of the Howrah-Puri Passenger which resulted in serious head injury causing his death.

Though other angles were not ruled out, police did not see foul play. Inspector-in-Charge of GRP, Bhubaneswar Soubhagya Swain said bookstall owners and wheelers saw Swain hurling himself in front of the train. Even the train driver corroborated the same, he said. The exact cause of the officer taking the extreme step is yet to be known.

While it is yet to be ascertained whether the officer was at the station to see off or receive someone, the police found no platform ticket from his possession. Swain, who was earlier Collector of Sonepur district, also served in various departments such as Textiles and Handlooms. He is survived by wife and two sons. His youngest son was to get married on June 30 and invitation cards have also been distributed.

When the news broke, officials from Home Department called up Swain’s wife to know his whereabouts. Unaware of the tragic incident, she is reported to have said that the officer has not returned home yet.

कोडरमा-नावाडीह रेलखंड पर पहली बार मंगलवार को सवारी गाड़ी का परिचालन होगा. इस ट्रेन में पांच बोगी होगी. सभी बोगी गोमो में तैयार की गयी है. अधिकारियों की देखरेख में सोमवार को दिन भर बोगियों का जांच हुई.मंगलवार को कोडरमा स्टेशन पर पूर्व मुख्यमंत्री एवं कोडरमा के सांसद बाबूलाल मरांडी कोडरमा-नावाडीह सवारी गाड़ी को हरी झंडी दिखा कर विदा करेंगे. उद्घाटन कार्यक्रम कोडरमा स्टेशन पर होगा. इस दौरान कोडरमा की विधायक अन्नपूर्णा देवी विशिष्ट अतिथि होंगी. धनबाद के डीआरएम सुधीर कुमार, सीनियर डीसीएम दयानंद सहित यहां के कई आला अधिकारी भी वहां जायेंगे.यह सवारी गाड़ी दिन में दो बार चलेगी. जानकारी के अनुसार कोडरमा को गिरिडीह रेल मार्ग से जोड़ने के लिए तत्कालीन प्रधानमंत्री अटल बिहारी वाजपेयी ने वर्ष 1999 में कोडरमा में इसका शिलान्यास किया था. उक्त परियोजना के तहत कोडरमा से गिरिडीह की दूरी 102 किलोमीटर है.कार्य की गति धीमी होने के कारण वर्ष 2013 में कोडरमा से नावाडीह तक 34 किमी सवारी गाड़ी चलेगी. मतलब साफ है कि 14 वर्षो के प्रयास के बाद मात्र 34 किलोमीटर ही ट्रेन चलेगी. इस रेलखंड पर सवारी गाड़ी के परिचालन से पहले इंजन को चला कर ट्रॉयल किया गया था.

Borjhar, June 24:Train services were disrupted in some parts of lower Assam, following a rail blockade at Ghagrapar in Nalbari district today.
The blockade was staged by a unit of the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) to demand a halt of Manas Rhino, an Intercity passenger express train, at Ghagrapar railway station which is around 100km from Guwahati. The train now plies between Bongaigaon and Guwahati.
Following the blockade, the Down Rajdhani Express was diverted through Goalpara district. Sources said Down Bangalore Express was halted at Rangiya in Kamrup district during the blockade.
S. Brahma, the divisional commercial manager of Rangiya division, rushed to the spot. “The railway authority has assured us of steps to meet our demand. Considering the rush of passengers, there should be a stoppage at Ghagrapara,” the president of Nalbari district unit of AJYCP, Pankaj Barman, said.