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No move at doubling Rly tracks

By PRANJAL BHUYAN

GUWAHATI, Feb 17 � Even as the long-pending demand for doubling of the railway tracks in Assam has not been fulfilled, in many other parts of the country the Centre and the Ministry of Railways have gone ahead with such projects despite those sections having lower Line Capacity Utilization.

As per information received under the RTI Act by Dipankar Sarma, who is also secretary of Assam Rail Passengers� Association, the percentage of utilization of line capacity in many of the sections in other states where doubling projects have been sanctioned is much below the LC Utilization in the New Bongaigaon-Agthori (via Rangiya) section in Assam.

�Despite this it is ironical that the doubling project in the New Bongaigaon-Agthori (via Rangiya) section has not yet been sanctioned and is lying before the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs as per reports,� Sarma told The Assam Tribune.

Sarma had filed two RTI queries, one each in 2013 and 2014. As per the information provided by the Railway Board in 2013, the LC Utilization of the New Bongaigaon-Agthori (via Rangiya) section was 150 per cent.

Late last year, Sarma filed another query seeking details of LC Utilization of other sections where doubling projects have been sanctioned.

As per the reply from the Railway Board, only in a few of these sections the LC Utilization percentages were higher than that in the New Bongaigaon-Agthori (via Rangiya) section.

As against the LC Utilization of 150 per cent in the New Bongaigaon-Agthori section, the utilization was only 92 per cent in Alwar-Bandikui, 111 per cent in Chennai Central-Basin Bridge Jn, 135 per cent in Hajipur-Ram Dayalu Nagar section, 108 per cent in Dhapper-Chandigarh section, 134 per cent in Jarangdih-Gomia section, a mere 49.5 per cent in Palanpur-Bhildi, 99.3 per cent in Bhildi-Samakhiyali and 134.6 per cent in Vatva-Kankariya section.

Only in Danea-Ranchi Road (170 per cent), Garwa Road-Ramna (164 per cent), Gomia-Danea (170 per cent) and Kankariya-Ahmedabad (150.8 per cent) sections was the utilization percentage higher than in the New Bongaigaon-Agthori section.

�This clearly shows the discrimination of the Centre against Assam and the North East. Doubling of track is essential whenever LC Utilization increases. While projects in other states receive the green signal, with regard to those concerning the North East there is always lethargy and delay,� said Sarma.

He said the elected MPs from Assam and the North East should raise their voices before the forthcoming Railway Budget to ensure that doubling and other projects in the region get included in the Budget.

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