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Saturday, February 26, 2011

A different railway link to Churulia


Kanchan Siddiqui
CHURULIA, Feb 26, 2011: Foundation for a railway link to Kazi Nazrul Islam’s birthplace Churulia was laid by union minister of state for shipping, Mr Mukul Roy today. Though the vintage railway link established in 1872 by the British and lost to a state run JV coalmine couldn’t be retrieved.

In 2010 railway budget, Railway Minister, Miss Mamata Banerjee had declared reestablishing a railway link to Churulia village located about 18 km from Asansol town beside The Ajoy river. Churulia happened to be an important railway station on Andal-Sarisatoli section where train services came to a halt in 1988 followed by huge losses. In course of time the railway tracks were uprooted by the iron scrap mafias and the entire railway installation including the tracks, station room, platforms were eaten up by a state-partnered JV captive coal mine producing coal for the West Bengal Power Development Corporation-owned power utilities. The mine came into operation since 1995.

FIR against former CPI-M leaders and cadres were lodged with the Jamuria PS against the robbery of the railway line which became prey of iron scrap smugglers under the active patronize of the party men. The CPI-M incidentally had expelled a section of the leaders and cadres following t offence. Though the party remained mum about state JV mine’s grabbing of railway installation gradually. The former Railway standing committee chairman, Mr Basudev Acharya said: “The standing committee had nothing to do with the grabbing of railway line by the mine. The state had leased the property to the mine.” He shrugged off responsibility saying: “In Dhanbad-Jharia section a railway line similarly was eaten up by a coalmine earlier.”

Mr Kazi Khairul Anam Siddiqui, a retired land revenue executive and the founder general secretary, Churulia Nazrul Academy, brought the matter to the notice of Miss Banerjee. He wrote a letter to Miss Banerjee on 26 October, 2009, proposing the restoration of the old railway services for Churulia. He said: “I am happy to learn that foundation for a railway link to Churulia was laid today. but it is not the vintage route where many great personalities including Sir Asutosh Mukherjee, Kazi Nazrul Islam, Shailajananda Mukherjee used to travel time to time.”

The Asansol Divisional Railway authority had conducted several survey works in last one year to help establishing a fresh railway link to Churulia. Finally the 9 Km Baraboni-Churulia route was explored. Mr Roy, the shipping minister after laying foundation said: “The state government was responsible for permanent loss of the vintage railway that was having a glorious past. Now to help bringing back services to Kazi Nazrul’s birthplace, Miss Banerjee has responded to the appeal made by the local responsible persons.” Mr Roy also declared that he would extend Rs 5 lakh aide to Nazrul Academy from his MPLAD fund.
Ends
[Pix below & also sent in another file]

4 comments:

rajesh said...

respected dada,
a hats of sallute toyou for givven us such a butyful website. Wll I am RAjesh Sadhu .now a days stayed At Asansol,originally from Churulia wants the detals proposed railway track of Baraboni to churulia(including all mouza and khatiyan).
If it is possible then plzzzzzzzzzzz mail me in this mail id :- raj5jan1@rediffmail.com.
its veryyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy urgent .
ok ..dada till then good nite r vison valo thakben

rajesh said...

my cell no 9614678456/9832295293

Anonymous said...

A wonderful place, called Churulia.

Anonymous said...

Liked this