NC Hills forum calls off rail blockade

GUWAHATI:  The North Cachar Hills Indigenous Students Forum has called off the indefinite rail blockade in Dima Hasao district in the wake of an assurance from the Assam government to settle the issue of land compensation to affected villagers.

“The blockade was lifted between 11pm and 12am on Thursday night following an inivitation from state chief secretary TY Das for a joint meeting during the first week of May to settle the compensation issue. The railway authority had already informed the state government that they are ready to pay the requisite compensation,” David Keivom, the president of the forum, told The Shillong Times on Friday.

Northeast Frontier Railway had cancelled train services to Dima Hasao after the forum had called the blockade from Thursday.

More than 500 families in the hills district were affected during broad gauge conversion work by NF Railway.

The railway had released Rs 1.78crore as zerrat value in March 2017.

The forum has over the past five years been demanding Rs 4.48crore as compensation to the affected villagers for land restoration.

“However, there was a lot of dilly dally on the part of the railway authorities and over 15 meetings have been held with them but to no avail,” Keivom said.