Drive to start new railway division in Bhagalpur draws flak

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Feb.16: The Malda Merchants’ Chamber of Commerce (MMCC) has called a convention at Malda college auditorium on Friday, inviting reputed citizens and leaders - irrespective of political identities - to adopt a resolution against the Indian Railway Board's decision to form a new railway division based in Bhagalpur, Bihar. The proposed new territory would reduce the present territory under the Malda railway division.

The Trinamul Congress in Malda blocked railway tracks on Saturday for more than an hour in protest against the decision to diminish the territory of the Malda railway division. Jamalpur and Bhagalpur in Bihar, as well as part of Jharkhand, presently under Malda railway division, would form the new territory of Bhagalpur railway division. However, railway officials have pledged to avoid diminishing the Malda railway division by adding fresh territory in Birbhum and Murshidabad.

The Trinamul Congress district president, Mr Dulal Sarkar, demanded: “If the Indian Railway Board goes through with the new railway division in Bhagalpur it would have to compensate by adding new territory to Malda railway division. We propose that areas from Old Malda to Harishchandrapur, as well as the area of South Dinajpur, currently in Katihar railway division under Northeast Frontier Railway, be ceded to Malda railway division.”

Plans for the new Bhagalpur railway division were first brought to light through a letter issued on 27 January, 2009 by the Indian Railway Board seeking a detailed project report on forming the new division. The letter was sent to concerned officials by the executive director of the Indian Railway Board, Mr R K Bhatnagar, who requested a cost estimate for the projected division, taking account of staff and the setting up a fully computerised office. The Congress leaders would join the convention called by the MMCC but have stated that they would not launch any agitation against the ‘present process’ to form the division.

Mr A H Khan Choudhury, Malda MP and Congress district president, told the local leaders: “It was simply a proposal. Any future formation of a new railway division in Bhagalpur would not diminish the Malda railway division. I met UPA chairperson Mrs Sonia Gandhi and railway minister Mr Lalu Prasad Yadav for comprehensive talks on the matter. There is no need to launch a movement at this point,” said Mr Ujjal Sheikh, the working president of the Chhatra Parishad.