Itanagar: The newly commissioned train service in Arunachal Pradesh has been temporarily suspended from yesterday by the Indian Railway Department over security and inner-line permit (ILP) issue, according to the Chief Secretary Ramesh Negi.
The decision for suspension of much awaited train services was taken by the higher authorities by the Railway Department following demands made by the student unions as they were demanding for suspension of train service till the security and proper checking of ILP arrangements have been sorted out.
Notably ILP is required to every non-Arunachalee before the entry into the state.
The Indian Railway introduced regular passenger train services from Naharlogun in Arunachal Pradesh to Tezpur in Assam from April 7 last last.
Talking to UNI, Mr Negi informed today that the Railway authorities did not inform the state government in well advance for the commencing of regular train services into the state.
Beside that the state administration was busy for maintaining the model code of conduct for the single phase simultaneous polls for Lok Sabha and Assembly Elections held on April 9, he added.
Considering the situations, the state government was not fully prepared to arrange proper security arrangements as well as thorough checking of ILP of train passengers, the chief secretary informed.
However, the state administration with its limited resources had tried its level best through various means to maintain security and checking of ILPs to the railway passengers, he said.
After receiving the order from the higher authorities of the Railway Department, the Naharlagun and Gumto railway stations in the state have been sealed, the Chief Secretary informed.
The train service will now terminate at Harmuti instead of Naharlogun and will continue to do so till the proper security arrangements have been made, Mr Negi said.
Since inception of train service in the state, different student organisations and civil society organisations have expressed serious concern over large scale of reported migration of outside people into the state.
The students’ unions and civic society were pointed that the state was needed rail services from Naharlogun to National Capital Delhi instead of local passenger train services to Tezpur, Mr Negi said.
They also pointed that with the introduction of local train services, the Arunachalee people will not be benefitted as they badly needed connectivity with Delhi on various purposes, he added.
The rail project was commissioned under PM’s special package to bring the land of the rising sun into the country’s railway map and also to augment better communication system to the people of this land locked state. (UNI)