Assam: Policemen's protest march disrupts train services

Train services were severely hit in middle Assam after Special Police Officers' took out a march along the railway tracks protesting against alleged wage cut, though the government said their salaries would not be reduced.

Thousands of passengers were stranded at various stations of Northeast Frontier Railway as train services in Lumding division were severely affected due to an agitation of the SPOs over an issue which was not connected to the railways, NFR said in a statement on Saturday. 

The train services were yet to be normalised. 

Around 200 SPOs started marching from Maibong station in Dima Hasao district towards Guwahati along the rail tracks on Friday protesting against a number of issues, including alleged reduction in their wages. They halted at Lumding station for the night and proceeded with their march in the morning.

"Train services have been stopped as per advice of the state government and it can resume only after clearance is received from the government,"

the statement said.

The trains were controlled at major stations only so that the passengers can avail of the facilities in these stations and their inconvenience is minimised," it said.

Services of 19 trains have been affected, including cancellation of five trains.

Two New Delhi-bound Rajdhani Express trains, which left Dibrugarh on Friday, were controlled at Lumding and Diphu stations respectively.

Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said the salaries of the SPOs will not be reduced and they would continue to get Rs 9,000 salary as earlier.

Gogoi also asked the chief secretary and the director general of police to look into the grievances of the SPOs and find solution to them, an official release said.

The SPOs in Dima Hasao district were primarily engaged in security duties for the gauge conversion work of the Railway in the Lumding-Badarpur link.

Last month in Haflong, the SPOs with their service weapons organised a rally under the banner of Special Police Officer Welfare Society for resolving their demands.

Additional Inputs: PTI