Residents of two Goalpara villages in lower Assam are risking their lives everyday thanks to the absence of railway crossing.
Bar Makori and Kharboja, the two tribal villages under the Balijana revenue circle in the district has been suffering from the absence of level crossing for last 29 years.
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The villagers of both the villages are compelled to cross the railway lines everyday for their day to day works.
The worst sufferers in this regard are the students of these villages.
They attend the Kharboja LP School and Makri LP and ME School everyday by crossing the railway line.
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“Since the laying of the lines in 1990s we have been demanding for a crossing,” alleged Arjun Rabha, a local elderly man.
“We have already lost five grown up persons and two students,” he said.
“But the railway authority is paying no heed to our demand,” he added.
“On November 11 last we submitted a memorandum to the deputy commissioner’s office. However, we are clueless as to what happened to the demand,” added Seuti Rabha, a mother.
There are 22 families in BorMakori village and 20 families in Kharboja village.
Meanwhile, when Northeast Now contacted a N F railway officer informed on condition of anonymity that ‘their demand is very much genuine’.
“But for this the DC will have to write to the Division Railway Manager,” the railway official added.
“The manager will send a team for inspection and based on the feasibility of the report, a crossing may be granted,” the official added.
“But so far the location is concerned, not a level cross but an underground pass will work,” the official reiterated.
The villagers are meanwhile in no mood of waiting.
If the department doesn’t want sacrifice of lives, they should construct a passage immediately,” said another local.