Inordinate delay in rly project

Statesman News Service

MALDA, 15 JUNE: The “Bengal to Bengal” railway project from Gazole to Gunjaria near Islampur via Itahar in North Dinajpur within the North-eastern Frontier was conceived during the tenure of former railway minister, Mr ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury. The project is yet to be materialised.

Trinamul Congress chief, Ms Mamata Banerjee, too had sanctioned funds for conducting surveys for the implementation of the project. All efforts have, however, turned futile in the last five years.

The NF railway division had also given out tenders for digging land along the proposed area, which were later withdrawn in March, earlier this year.

A senior official of the engineering department of the NF railway division in Malda said the state government did not have enough land for the project because of which the tenders were withdrawn.

Mr TK Sharangi, special land acquisition officer said the railway authorities did not inform them of land acquired for the project.

"They should have sent us proposals for land acquisition but we did not receive any such plans from the NF railway division," he said.

Deputy chief engineer, Mr SP Yadav, was not available for comment. A senior staff said over the telephone he was in the Katihar divisional office at Bihar.

Meanwhile, Ms Banerjee came to power as the Union railway minister following which people and politicians of North Dinajpur took fresh initiative to revive the project.

The district Intuc president, Mr Narendranath Tiwari, said despite surveys, regarding the project, having begun earlier railway authorities dropped the plan and decided to pull out their offices from Malda.

The District Trinamul Congress president, Mr Dulal Sarkar has meanwhile submitted a series of proposals regarding railway projects including Rajdhani express via Malda once a week and an underpass at Rathbari railway gate at English Bazaar.

He also proposed stoppage for various trains at the Khaltipur railway station in Kaliachak, computer reservation counter, modernisation of Malda railway hospital and renovation of the Malda railway park.

Security an issue in Ramkeli

MALDA, 15 JUNE: The 500 years old Vaishnavite fair, Ramkeli began today in English Bazaar near Gour. The fair is organised to commemorate the arrival of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in this holy place on Jaishtya Sankranti in the fourteenth century. The six-days fair has drawn thousands of people, especially monks from across the country to perform several rituals.

The fair being organised by some local committees, is close to the India-Bangladesh border. Despite the vulnerable location, security measures at the fair are not up to the mark. Provisions for basic amminities for pilgrims are also missing. Neither are there any health service centres nor arrangement of safe drinking water and toilets.

Condition of the road connecting NH 34, from Sustani to Gour, too is bad.

The fair is visited by many women every year, who come here to submerge the ashes of their ancestors. For thousands of such women too, there are no security measures. ;SNS

Mysterious death

MALDA, 15 JUNE: One Pratap Chakraborty (30), a security guard of a nationalised oil company, died under mysterious circumstances in Naryayanpur this morning. Police recovered the body and sent it for post mortem. SNS

Two commit suicide

MALDA, 15 JUNE: A 27- year -old woman, Mankhushi Biswas and her five year old son Sujan died in a local healthcentre under Bamongola police station last night after reportedly consuming poison. SNS