Dear Sir,
Greetings from Nagaland,
We the under mentioned organizations would like to bring to your kind notice the following few points to your urgent intervention so that you would do everything necessary at your disposal for the benefit of the entire State of Nagaland as well as Manipur and the region as a whole so that Dimapur Railway Station is given its due status of a full-fledged Divisional Railway Headquarter under NFR. Sir, Dimapur Railway Station is the Rail head of Nagaland as well as the bordering state of Manipur. It also happens to be the highest Revenue earning Railway Station under the entire North-Eastern Region. Though Dimapur Railway Station is showing signs of growth and expansion, the North Frontier Railways (NFR) has always meted a step-motherly treatment on Dimapur Railway Station.
Despite all the points mentioned below, the recent move of the North Frontier Railways (NFR) to shift the administrative Headquarters of Dimapur Railwav Station from Lumding to Tinsukia has come as a big blow to everyone, especially the daily commuters, Railway Employees and, commercial houses among many other stakeholders in Nagaland, Manipur and adjoining areas of bordering state of Assam. We have taken this issue very seriously as this insane move on the part of NFR Guwahati would not only jeopardize the economy of the region but also would have far reaching consequences of social, educational and demographical structure of Dimapur in relation to other parts of the country. We hereby put this legitimate demand for urgent revocation of the NFR decision of shifting the Administration of Dimapur Railway Station from Lumding to Tinsukia despite the fact that Tinsukia is more than 200 KMS from Dimapur. We would like to put forth the following• points for your kind information please:
1. Logistically, Dimapur is a very important geographical arid commercial town earning a major chunk of revenue for the Railways since it is the corridor for both Nagaland and Manipur along with some important towns of neighbouring state Assam, especially Karbi Anglong.
2. Dimapur Railway Station is one of the most important Railway Stations in the entire region which makes it even more logical to support the cause of Dimapur Railway Station being upgraded into a fully functional Divisional Headquarter. The North Frontier Railways has always been ignoring this and has been routing the revenue earned by Dimapur Railway Station to the state of Assam alone.
3. When NFR is supposed to be functioning for the entire North Eastern Region why the focus is always on the state of Assam and why development and job opportunities are always done by NFR keeping in mind the benefit of Assam alone. Why the Naga educated employed youths are neglected by the NFR when job opportunities emerge under the Railway Department.
4.Nagaland has always shown potentialities of being the highest in terms of Revenue earning but why it is always neglected and overshadowed by the Railway Authorities. Why other states in the region particularly Assam gets the full benefit always?
5. The Hon’ble Union Railway Minister, Shri Suresh Prabhu recently declared the Dimapur Railway Station as a Model Railway Station and flagged off the Dimapur¬Zubza Project. But ironically after that NFR has shown its true colors of Step Motherly treatment. Dimapur deserves to be upgraded into a full-fledged Divisional Headquarter under the Railways but instead it has been put under the Administration of Tinsukia Division which is utterly unfair and inhuman.
6. There is no iota of doubt that the administration of Dimapur Railway• Station has become significant in recent years due to the fact that it earns more revenue than any other North Eastern State. As such, we argue as to why not make Dimapur a fully operational Divisional Headquarter under NFR and accord its long overdue status. Why should the NFR instead look backward towards Tinsukia as the only viable option? Are the people manning NFR Administration so short-sighted and against your Look East and Act East Policy that they are trying their level best to deprive Dimapur Railway Station of all facilities?
7. It is really unfortunate that this move of the NFR has come at a time when the entire Indian Railways is eager to make a massive overhauling of its infrastructures. This decision on the part of NFR seems to be utterly primitive and thoughtless. Needless to say, there are some people and lobbies with vested interests who are working hand in gloves with the NFR Guwahati due to their ulterior motives of destabilizing the entire Railway Project in and around Dimapur.
8. Moreover, it is noteworthy that Dimapur is centrally located between Dibrugarh and Guwahati. Therefore it is highly questionable as to why NFR is focused on the development of Railways in Assam alone at the expense of Nagaland.
NFR Guwahati has proved once and for all that there is no democratic handling of its affairs and that they are the most biased and illogical people in the Railway Fraternity by bringing Dimapur Railway Station under the ambit of Tinsukia Division which we oppose ‘all out. We stand committed for the welfare of the people of Nagaland, Manipur and its adjoining areas and we strongly demand on behalf of the entire public and Railway Employees that Dimapur be upgraded to the level of Divisional Headquarter. We will never consider the option of the administrative headquarter being shifted to Tinsukia Division which will take us rearward rather than looking forward with the vision of Look East Policy.
We the undermentioned organizations reiterate our demands and fervently appeal to your kind office for immediate revocation of the NFR’s decision of shifting the administrative control of Dimapur Railway -Station to Tinsukia Division and instead upgrade the only Railway Station of Dimapur Railway to Divisional Headquarter for the State of Nagaland. We would continue to resort to all kinds of democratic protests for the fulfillment of our legitimate demands till the Railway Ministry provides us full justice and adequate representation of our case is taken up.
Sir, we remain committed to the cause of the development of India in general in Nagaland in particular under your esteemed dynamic
leadership.
Looking forward towards progressive Act East Policy.
