Ajit Panda, chief administrative officer of the Northeast Frontier Railway has said that looking at the progress of the broad gauge works on the Lumding-Badarpur hill section and the line up to Silchar, passenger trains on the broad gauge is likely to be run from April, according to a report in The Assam Tribune. The plan is to first run an engine from New Halflong to Badarpur and then up to Silchar on a trial basis from 15- 20 March and after that a goods train. As per plan, if everything goes well, then passenger trains will run from April next which will be a Bihu gift to the people of the Barak Valley. All pending works will be completed within the mega block period. From Lumding to Silchar, the total length of the BG project is 210 km, and there are 17 tunnels. This national project has 79 major and 340 minor bridges, 28 stations and four halt stations. Lumding, New Haflong, Silchar and Badarpur have been identified as the most important stations.

Drastic step

The Zeliangrong Students’ Union is to ban some companies engaged in the construction of the Jiribam-Tupul railway line for not maintaining quality control while executing works despite repeated requests, says a report in Imphalbased E-pao. These are Simplex Infrastructures Limited, Onycon Engineers Private Limited, ECI Engineering & Construction Limited, Bharti Infrastructures Projects Limited, Sushee Infrastructures Private Limited, Apex Construction and SK Engineering & Construction India Limited.

Threat to Majuli

Massive erosion has posed a serious threat to the protection works in the Salmora area of Majuli, the world&’s largest river island, as a large chunk a stone spur (known as the No.1 spur in the locality) collapsed last week, says a report in the Guwahati–based Assam Tribune. Locals said there had been erosion in the protected area in the past few days because of some technical snags. The Brahmaputra Board is doing protection works in Salmora, Sumoimari and many other areas on the river island. Asked about the causes of erosion in the “well-constructed” spur, an official of the Board said that the river current could not be diverted by the pitched stones in the deep area.

A new low

A new outfit calling itself Achik National Wild Animal Army has come up and started sending demand notes to businessmen in Meghalaya&’s Garo Hils, says a report in the Shillong-based Meghalaya Times. A Tura resident said “ we are not animals and this is putting our tribe at a new low”. Another recently floated outfit, going by the name of Achik Jatna Remikkangipa Kotok, has come under much ridicule. The outfit&’s demand note, spells Meghalaya as Maghalaya, headquarters as Hate Coater, the demand note itself is written “diman pet” while the finance secretary becomes “fineness secretary”. According to a police official “these are small- time dacoits trying to take advantage of the situation”.