Seven workers engaged in rail work hurt in blast
Source: The Sangai Express

Jiribam, October 06 2013: Seven labourers of Coastal Project Limited engaged in the Jiribam-Tupul railway project have been injured when unidentified persons triggered a bomb blast near Kambiron in Tamenglong district this morning.

Police sources however put the number of injured labourers at five and added that one of them is in serious condition.

All the injured have been admitted to Silchar Medical College, said police and added that it could be related to monetary demands from UG groups.

Coastal Project Limited is engaged in construction of tunnels as part of the railway project and it is currently engaged in construction of tunnel no 4 near Kambiron.

Just beside the work site, labourers of the company have a camp.

It was inside the camp that a deafening blast took place at around 6.30.The blast left two labourers with critical injuries while five others sustained minor injuries.

The injured labourers at Silchar Medical College

While the other victims were given first aid at Jiribam CHC, Md Azaduddin (31) so /o Md Abdul Hamid of Karimganj, Assam and Md Sajul Islam (23) s/o Riyajul Islam of Rongpur Part 4, Silchar who sustained critical injuries were referred to Silchar Medical College .

According to one of the victims, a similar blast took place about 12 days ago although there were no casualties.

Citing the repeated bomb attacks within the labourers' camp, he decried that there is no security arrangement for the company.

He said that all the labourers are afraid to work there any longer.

There have been instances where hill based UG groups demanded money from companies engaged in the Jiribam-Tupul-Imphal railway project besides taking labourers hostage for ransom.

This year itself, four labourers of Coastal Project Limited were taken hostage by a Kuki UG group for several days and the labourers were released in Barak area along NH 37 only after paying ransom money.

Following the incident, many labourers left the railway work and went away.

Most of them have not returned till date.

With the strength of labourers thus reduced, it has become a major factor for delaying the project.

On the other hand, hill based civil organisations have been disrupting the railway work every now and then while pursuing any of their demands from the Government, said the injured victim.

Talking about State security provided to com- panies engaged in the railway project, one company official expressed dissatisfaction with the present security arrangement.

The camp where the labourers have been staying is not given any security cover.

Any UG group can sneak in any time and go away unharmed after doing whatever they wish.

The companies do not feel secure on account of Mani- pur's weak internal security arrangement.

Because of all these disturbances, the completion target has been repeatedly extended.

Completion target for the railway project according to the latest extension is 2016 .

There would be 34 tunnels in the Jiribam-Imphal railway line but only four tunnels have been constructed so far.

Moreover, Jiribam-Imphal railway would have the largest number of bridges in the country including seven major bridges, 107 medium or small bridges and three over-bridges, said the official.