Keeping in view of the proposed rail blockade programme announced by the NC Hills Indigenous Students’ Forum (NCHISF) in Dima Hasao district on Thursday the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) authority has cancelled or short-terminated journey of a total of four trains.
The NCHISF announced its agitational programme in protest against non-fulfilment of their demand to provide compensation to the people, who have lost their lands due to the Broad Gauge (BG) conversion work in the hill region.
The Chief Public Relations Officer of Northeast Frontier Railway, Pranav Jyoti Sharma, through a press communiqué informed that due to the proposed blockade agitation four trains will remain cancelled or short-terminated.
As per the NFR press communiqué, 55615 Guwahati-Silchar Passenger train scheduled to leave from Guwahati on April 18, 2018 will remain cancelled between Guwahati and Silchar.
On the other hand, 55615 Silchar-Guwahati Passenger train scheduled to leave from Silchar on April 19, 2018 will remain cancelled between Silchar and Guwahati.
Besides the fast passenger train that runs between Silchar and Guwahati, 25657 Sealdah-Silchar Kanchanjungha Express which was scheduled to arrive in Guwahati on April 19, 2018 will now be short-terminated at Lumding and will remain cancelled between Lumding and Silchar. Moreover, the 25657 Kanchanjungha Express will additionally stop at Chaparmukh, Hojai and Lanka Railway Stations to provide road connectivity to Haflong-bound passengers.
The NFR press communiqué also stated that the 25658 Silchar-Sealdah Kanchanjungha Express scheduled for April 20, 2018 will start from Guwahati and will remain partially cancelled between Silchar and Guwahati.
It may be mentioned that the NCHISF on April 5, 2018 had set 15-day deadline to the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) authorities to compensate the affected families, whose lands were accrued and damaged during Broad Gauge (BG) railway line conversion in Dima Hasao.
NCHISF President David Kaivom, talking to Northeast Now, on April 4, 2018 had said, “The railway authorities have been given a deadline up to April 18, 2018 to solve the compensation issue. If the railway authority fails to keep its promise of compensation this time too, then after April 19, railway blockade will be observed in Dima Hasao.”