GUWAHATI, July 10: Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) president and Deputy Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Gaurav Gogoi, has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging immediate intervention to restore and improve transport connectivity to Barak Valley, which remains cut off due to repeated infrastructure failures during the monsoon season.
In his letter, Gogoi expressed serious concern over the “fragile and deteriorating connectivity” to the region, calling the situation a crisis. He highlighted the Lumding-Badarpur railway section, which passes through the hills of Dima Hasao, as being chronically vulnerable. According to Gogoi, the stretch has suffered at least seven major breakdowns in the past five years due to landslides, embankment collapses, and unstable infrastructure. As a result, train services are frequently suspended for weeks, leaving thousands stranded.
The Congress MP also pointed to the worsening condition of key highways, including NH 6, NH 27, and NH 37. These roads, especially near Sonapur, Jatinga, and Harangajao, are frequently blocked by landslides and damaged culverts. Gogoi cited the recent collapse of the Harang Bridge on the Silchar-Kalain route—even after ₹137 crore was spent on repairs—as a stark example of the deteriorating road infrastructure.
With both rail and road links disrupted, Gogoi said the Barak Valley has been pushed into complete isolation. Air travel has become the only viable option, but soaring ticket prices—ranging between ₹15,000 and ₹18,000 for a one-way flight from Silchar to Guwahati—have made it inaccessible to most people in the region. He noted that this fare is more than ten times the usual cost of flights between Guwahati and Agartala.
Gogoi stressed that the region, home to over 40 lakh people, continues to suffer due to the absence of reliable transport. He warned that the ongoing neglect is discouraging investment, delaying medical referrals, hampering education, and pushing the region’s youth into despair. Despite repeated pleas from civil society and elected representatives, he said, a long-term solution has not yet materialized.
In his appeal, Gogoi called for a time-bound roadmap to double-track and landslide-proof the Lumding-Badarpur railway line using modern engineering methods. He also urged the government to sanction the long-pending Lanka–Chandranathpur (Maynarbond) railway corridor to provide an alternative route to Barak Valley.
Additionally, Gogoi asked the Prime Minister to deploy the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to restore road connectivity immediately. He called for the construction of climate-resilient bypass roads to ensure access during the monsoon.
To address the air travel crisis, Gogoi demanded the reintroduction of Air India or UDAN-subsidised flights on the Silchar-Guwahati-Kolkata routes and sought fare regulation through intervention by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Ministry of Civil Aviation.
He also proposed launching a Connectivity Revival Package for Barak Valley that includes durable, multi-modal infrastructure and inland waterway development through the Barak River.
“The people of Barak Valley have shown remarkable resilience in the face of repeated disruptions,” Gogoi wrote. “But resilience alone cannot substitute for reliable infrastructure. It is time the region receives the attention and investment it has long deserved.”
