New Delhi, July 24: The Union home ministry has sent forces to aid construction of the gauge conversion on the Lumding-Silchar line. The decision could not have come at a more opportune time as Union minister for heavy industries Sontosh Mohan Dev has been drawing flak for the delay in completion of the project.

Six companies of the CRPF have been despatched to Assam to provide security on the railway tracks.

Construction on the railway line stopped last October after the Dima Halam Daogah abducted and killed six railway workers. Finally, work on the railway line began only on July 2.

There have been constant threats of extortion and a general fear that paralysed work on the vital rail link between Barak Valley and the rest of Assam.

Dev, who is an MP from Silchar, has been facing brickbats at home for the delay in completion of the project and also failing to convince the Centre to send security forces .

Dev had requested every-one, from the railway minister to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, to help complete the project. To make matters worse, a bridge collapsed on the link recently, cutting off supplies for the valley through the rail route.

Dev is banking on the completion of the project by February 2009, months before the parliamentary elections.

A source in the home ministry said earlier it was decided that security would be provided for 73 worksites on the line. But as problems regarding security increased, the number of worksites were reduced to 63, the source added.

Of these, Assam police were manning only 23 locations.

The Assam government will also deploy 1,000 ex-servicemen. The Centre will pay the expenses from the security-related expenditure sche-me, a source added.

The Sainik Board will help the state government recruit the security officers over the next three months.