Assam: Railways Property Worth Rs. 12.50 Cr Damaged in Anti-CAA Protests

Tinsukia, January 9, 2020:

The agitation against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act has led to the loss of property damage worth Rs. 12.50 crore in total in Assam’s Tinsukia and Dibrugarh districts mainly.

While addressing mediapersons, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Ashish Sharma Mandal, Tinsukia, said that the CAA Andolans had impacted the two Upper Assam districts the most and three railway stations were completely damaged.

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“Level-crossing gates, lodges of our gatemen and the tracks in between have been affected. Trains from Tinsukia stopped moving since the day the stations were destroyed, i.e. December 11, 2019. Immediate infrastructural damage of the Railway division, including the various departments, amount to Rs. 2.50 crore. But if all the delays, cancellations, including the diverted train services are counted, then the loss is worth Rs. 12.50 crore.

Mandal also informed that restoration work has begun in the railway stations that were completely damaged during the protests. “The new assets that will be used in the stations should be protected. Once we become sure of no disruptions along the Tinsukia, Dibrugarh rail route, we will resume the train services,” he said.

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It may be mentioned here that the country witnessed massive public property damage during the CAA protests that began right after the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Bill in the Rajya Sabha. Railways department has begun its repairing work. The losses incurred were over 80 crore in different parts of the country.

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