With gradual improvement in the security scenario in North Cachar Hills district of Assam, following the surrender of 'Black Widow' militants, work on the Lumding-Silchar railway gauge conversion project has begun.
A senior official from Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) informed that most of the companies, which had earlier abandoned the project, had resumed their works and around 35 companies were engaged at various project sites on the 201 km Lumding-Silchar stretch.
The project includes construction of 18 tunnels of total length of 1.06 km in NC Hills district.
"The work is gradually picking up as there has been substantial improvement in the security scenario in NC Hills. Around 35 companies are presently engaged in construction work on the Lumding-Silcar stretch," said the official.
He said that the 100-km stretch between Maibang and Barail Hill in NC Hills was the most sensitive as all the attacks on railway staff, property and construction took place there. The gauge conversion work in this 100-km stretch, which lay idle for almost a year as private construction companies had fled due to rampant extortions, abductions, killings by the militant outfit, has now resumed, the official said.
At least 50 people, including railway staff, construction workers at various sites, were killed by the militant outfit in the past 2 years. Attack on trains, including passengers and locomotive drivers, had led to suspension of train services on the route for many months on several occasions.
Probably, Lumding-Silchar route is the only such rail route in the country where engines, having bullet-proof side glasses as a safety measure for the drivers, were pressed into service. The reign of terror, unleashed by the militant outfit, particularly targeting the gauge conversion project and east-west highway corridor project, created an unconducive scenario in the otherwise picturesque NC Hills district for the construction companies to carry on with their works.
Since the surrender of the outfit, also known as Dima Halam Daogah (Jewel faction), in September and October, there has been no incidence of attack on railway staff or property.
The official added that 45 per cent of work on the Lumding-Silchar stretch had been completed. Sanctioned in 1996-97, the target date of gauge conversion has now been fixed as March 2012.
