AKHSA to agitate before Lok Sabha for broad-gauge railway line

Agartala, Jul 6 (UNI) The All Cachar Karimganj Hailakandi Students' Association (AKHSA) of south Assam has threatened to demonstrate before the Lok Sabha during upcoming monsoon session of Parliament demanding completion of the broad-gauge railway line project between Lumding and Kumarghat.

Addressing mediapersons here today, AKHSA president Rupam Nandi Purkayastha said they had already sought support from the Tripura, Mizoram and Manipur governments and Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar assured them help and promised to take up the issue with the Centre.

A four-member delegation of the AKHSA met Mr Sarkar here yesterday and submitted a 13-point memorandum with regard to railway tracks conversion between North Cachar Hills and Agartala and also criticised the Assam government.

''The lifeline of Barak Valley in South Assam, Mizoram, Tripura and Manipur is facing uncertainty due to step-motherly attitude of the Assam government,'' the association stated.

Mr Nandi Purkayastha also warned that the AKHSA would sit for demonstrations before Assam Assembly during the next session to protest its reluctant attitude towards railway development in the Northeastern region.

The Tripura government had spent Rs 40 crore from its budget for providing security for the railway work between Kumarghat and Agartala while the Assam government did not pay attention to security for gauge conversion work between Lumding and Silchar national project, it alleged.

They urged the state governments to take up the issue with the Centre and pointed out that unless the gauge conversion was completed along this stretch, the states of Tripura, Manipur and Mizoram would remain deprived of broad gauge connectivity.

The memorandum appreciated the completion of laying of railway tracks up to Agartala and commencement of railway service but regretted that despite being undertaken almost simultaneously a decade ago, the gauge conversion between Lumding and Silchar had made little progress.

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