GUWAHATI, Dec 17 - In a bizarre development, which clearly reflects the lack of sensitivity of the Railway authorities towards this region, around 100 coaches meant for delivery to the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) for catering to its various passenger needs have been illegally �requisitioned� by other zones.
Repeated attempts by the Maligaon-headquartered NFR to have the coaches returned to it have borne no results so far, even as the other zones have put the coaches for their own use.
Official sources told The Assam Tribune that this development comes at a time when NFR is facing an acute shortage of railway coaches, mostly for its long-distance trains, and have sent request to the Railway Board in New Delhi for supply of as many as 269 coaches of various types.
�Around 100 coaches sent by the Railway Board to NFR in recent times, mostly to cater to our needs for operating long-distance trains, have been taken over illegally by other zones. One may term it unofficial requisitioning or simply hijacking, but the fact is that no action has been forthcoming from the Railway Board to have the coaches sent back to NFR,� said an official on condition of anonymity, adding that it is causing serious operational problems for the zone.
The coaches were sent to NFR from assembly lines at various factories but they never reached here and were instead taken over by other zones during transit.
He said that despite repeated reminders to the concerned zones as well as the Railway Board no action has been forthcoming to have the coaches returned to NFR.
�The very fact that we have not received a positive response from the Railway Board in the matter clearly shows that New Delhi is simply not interested in addressing the issue of development of railway facilities and infrastructure of this region,� said the source.
Around 50 pairs of long-distance trains operate between the Northeastern region and the rest of the country every week and the total load of coaches in those trains is over 1,050.
�As and when shortage of coaches is faced by NFR, it is communicated to the Railway Board,� said an official.
The NFR has asked for a total of 269 new coaches from the Railway Board to cater to extension, regularisation and augmentation of existing services, besides to make up for shortages and replace condemned coaches.
�We�re facing serious operational constraints as those coaches haven�t been received here,� he said.