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Demand for setting up rail division at Badarpur

By Correspondent

BADARPUR, July 2 - The Badarpur Rail Division Implementation Demand Committee (BRDIDC) has demanded the setting up of a full-fledged railway division at Badarpur Railway Junction without any further delay. This was demanded by the BRDIDC, in a memorandum submitted to the NF Railway Area Manager of Badarpur Railway Subdivision, which was addressed to the Railway Minister Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu recently.

Submitting the memorandum, the BRDIDC general secretary Sukumar Ghosh, president Chandan Lal Sen, Ashim Mazumder and several other members vehemently criticised the Railway Ministry and the Central Government for not yet taking any decision in regard, which is a very old demand of the people, first voiced way back in 1988. They said that the demand for Badarpur Rail Division has already become a �mass demand �, and hence, cannot be ignored at all. They said, that all essential elements for a railway junction are available at the Badarpur Railway Junction and so, from this point of view, the Badarpur Railway subdivision must be converted to a railway division. �We are united for the next phase of the struggle�, they threatened.

Immediately after submitting the memorandum, the general secretary of the Badarpur Rail Division Implementation Demand Committee, Sukumar Ghosh, accompanied by the other members of the BRDIDC, while speaking to this correspondent narrated the entire picture, the necessity, reasonableness as well as the logic of the Badarpur Rail Division. Ghosh said that in support of the setting up a full-fledged rail division at Badarpur, the movement will continue and now it will be made more vigorous than earlier. In reply to a question, Ghosh said that since 1988, the movement was non-violent. But now, the contours of the movement may change, if the Railways and the Central Government continue to deprive Badarpur of its due. Programmes like protests, wearing of black badges, leaflet distribution will be taken up within a short period and a very good response is expected from every corner of Badarpur Railway town and the village areas.

Ghosh also said that �Badarpur� is most suitable place for setting up of a full-fledged railway division. There are vast railway lands at Badarpur, and there is proper traffic control. Explaining the latter, he said from Badarpur to NC Hills the distance is 500 km; from Badarpur to Bhairabi: 460 km; from Badarpur to Tripura 510 km; and from Badarpur to Manipur 430 km. Due to these proper traffic controls, �Badarpur� is the only �gateway� to the neighbouring States of Tripura, Manipur, Mizoram and Meghalaya, along with the entire Barak Valley. In these places, the Railway services are being controlled by Badarpur. So, in this connection, if railway communication is set up with Bangladesh in the future, then automatically for geographic reasons, �Badarpur� will be the most suitable place. Ghosh also said that Badarpur Rail Sub-Divisional Head Quarter has the required staff strength and is also economically viable for the purpose of a full-fledged rail division.

The BRDIDC in its memorandum, to the Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, has mentioned the reasons for the need to set up a rail division at Badarpur. It said that since the British period, this railway junction is controlling and operating the Badarpur Railway Area of Tripura, Manipur, Mizoram, Greater Assam (Railway belt of Cachar, Karimganj, Hailakandi and the Dima Hasao districts) and Bangladesh in times of national and international necessities. Besides railway land lying vacant, uncared, unutilised and unlawfully occupied can be utilised for setting up the rail division at Badarpur. There are service-building facilities and staff-quarter facilities at Badarpur railway junction. Mechanical and signalling management for the complete sub-divisional zone are managed and controlled from this junction. All other infrastructure facilities are also available, the BRDIDC memorandum said.

It was also mentioned that during the opening ceremony of Rangiya Rail Division, former Chief Minister of Assam, Late Hiteswar Saikia and other dignitaries had agreed in their addresses and before the media, that the next rail division will be set up at Badarpur

The BRDIDC has earnestly appealed to the Railway Minister to intervene in the matter. Copies of the memorandum have been sent to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Railway Board Chairman, GM NF Railway, State Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, all MLAs and MPs and Ministers of Barak Valley, and leaders of BJP�s Karimganj unit, the BRDIDC said.

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