DIBRUGARH, May 29 - The Dibrugarh district committee of the Assam Rail Passengers� Association, while welcoming the maiden visit of Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhakar Prabhu to Dibrugarh, also expressed surprise that a person of his stature had been called to inaugurate a few passenger amenities at railway stations, which could have been done by an officer even much junior in rank to the General Manager of the NF Railway.
The Association felt the inept handling of the Minister�s visit by the NF Railway has only frittered away a good opportunity of meaningful interaction and discourse.
Nabajyoti Borkakoty, secretary of the Dibrugarh district unit of Assam Rail Passengers� Association (ARPA), stated: �The committee also condemns the attitude of the newly- appointed Divisional Railway Manager of Tinsukia Division of NF Railway for his insensitive and indifferent attitude towards the Assam Rail Passengers� Association, a recognised member organisation of the Zonal Rail Users� Consultative Committee.
Surprisingly, the Assam Rail Passengers� Association was neither invited to the programme, but was even denied permission to hand over the said memorandum to the Union Minister by the Divisional Railway Manager.�
The statement speaks volumes about the ineptness of the railway administration in handling the overnight visit to Dibrugarh by Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, who was here on Saturday and today.
Instead of staying at the big campus Circuit House complex here, he camped at a local hotel in the busy New Market here, causing traffic snarls and unnecessary crowding by traders� families. The chaos hindered smooth conduct of a news conference, as housewives and housemaids jostled for selfies with the Minister. A senior reporter had to intervene and chase away the photo-seekers before some sanity could be brought about.
Borkakoty said the ARPA unit raised several long-pending issues in the memorandum that was handed over to the Minister through the MLA of Lahowal, Rituparna Baruah, after the ARPA members were prevented from a direct audience with the Minister by the railway officials.
These demands related to the Dibrugarh Town Railway Station and amenities. The highlights of the issues raised in the memorandum were, stoppage of the Rajdhani Express at Duliajan, declaration of the historic Dibrugarh Town Railway Station as a heritage station, and re-designing and development of the same as a world class railway station.
It may be mentioned here that the present Dibrugarh Town (DBRT) Railway Station, earlier known as the �Rehabari� station, was the first railway station in entire North East India and one of the oldest railway stations in the country, from where the first train chugged off some one and a quarter century back on May 1, 1882.
The ARPA also sought immediate measures to introduce seamless road connectivity to the Dibrugarh (DBRG) railway terminus, and improvement of passenger amenities there.
To ease severe traffic congestion taking place regularly at Lahowal Tiniali, Convoy Road Tiniali and Amolapatty rail-road crossings, the memorandum urged the Union Railway Minister to take steps for constructing three flyovers at these three places on an urgent basis. As a number of long-distance trains originate and terminate in Dibrugarh, much time is wasted for allowing passage of trains at intermediate stations, the committee therefore proposed a double track in between New Tinsukia Junction and Dibrugarh Town Station on an urgent basis.
For enhanced and better train service to and from Dibrugarh to cater to the ever-increasing demands of the passengers, immediate introduction of DEMU service was sought in the memorandum as a sub-urban service.
The ARPU unit also called upon the Minister for survey of a new railway line between Dibrugarh station and Moranhat via Rajgarh, which, besides providing an alternative railway line in the section, will also carry benefits of a double line and also connect the highest tea producing Tingkhong revenue circle with the railway network of the country for faster economic growth.
