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Dimapur, Jan. 3 (EMN): Dimapur Naga Students’ Union (DNSU) has questioned the decisions of the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) to extend the train service of Nagaland Express to Ledo in Assam and demanded it to immediately revoke the decision, failing which the union has warned to take its own course of action.
“Despite being aware of the fact that Dimapur earns the second highest revenue in the Northeast after Guwahati, such ignorant decision taken by NFR downgrading the Dimapur station to the same level with smaller stations in Assam is totally unfair and discriminatory,” the union said in a statement issued by its president Sedevilie Angami and the general secretary B Mhajan Tsopoe.
The union stated that the rights of passengers at Dimapur station should not be taken away in order to meet the needs of the passengers in Ledo.
It termed the reasons given by NFR for extension of train service to Ledo as ‘baseless excuse’.
Stating that the train has been functioning smoothly without any issues like lack of facilities or proper water supply, AC coach, cleanliness etc. in the past nine years, the union expressed dismay at citing such facilities as an excuse instead of finding solution and providing better service.
Regarding decrease in the number of train passengers due to Covid-19 pandemic, the union made it clear that on an average the number of passengers have decreased since certain SOPs were laid down for travellers. It added that NFR should not expect to generate revenue during such period when the economy has been hampered extremely on all ends.
The union pointed out that passengers, particularly the students and the citizens of Nagaland, who depend on train service for transportation, have been affected the most by the drastic decision of the NFR. Further stating that such hasty decision effecting the passengers of Dimapur, especially the students would not be accepted, the union warned that it would be forced to take action like as blockade of trains passing through Dimapur railway station if the decision is not revoked immediately.