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Dhubri, Feb. 23: The residents of Gouripur town, famed for being the birthplace of actor Pramathesh Barua, are demanding a stoppage of Dhubri-Silghat Town Express at the town.
The Dhubri-Silghat Town Express was launched on February 11 and since then the residents had been seeking a halt at Gouripur, which is close to tourist spots, including Asharikandi terracotta village and Sareswar bird sanctuary.
“We do not understand why are we discriminated against?” a social worker and a resident of Gouripur town, Joy Gupta, asked.
After years of deprivation, train services were restored to the town in 2010.
Rupshi Airport Revival Demand Committee secretary, Jyotirmoy Chakraborty, said Gouripur’s decadence reflected the indifference of the policy planners towards small towns. “It is sheer negligence on the part of the NF Railway for not sanctioning a stoppage at Gouripur railway station,” he added.
“Both Dhubri and Gouripur have a rich history and culture, besides being the hubs of trade and commerce in lower Assam. But years of apathy have affected trade in these towns.”
The director of an NGO, Nature’s Friends, Kulodhar Das, said Gouripur was gradually becoming a tourist spot. “Moreover, it is the birth place of actor Pramathesh Barua and Goalpariya folk singer Padmashri Pratima Barua Pandey. It is a place where tourists frequently visit and a train stoppage will be convenient for them,” Das.
While supporting the demand for the train stoppage, the director of the Northeast Craft and Rural Development Organisation, Binoy Bhattacharjee, told The Telegraph that the government had drawn a lower Assam tourism circuit long ago stretching from Hajo to Satrasal in Dhubri district and had sanctioned funds to set up tourist lodges and other amenities and Gouripur was right in middle of this circuit.
“Gouripur is at the centre of the tourist circuit and any communication development will benefit the entire area,” Bhattacharjee said.
He also said rail communication had been already restored and now people are looking forward to the re-opening of the river port at Dhubri and Ruspshi airport near Gouripur.
Hence, in order boost all-round development, NF Railway should sanction a stoppage of the express train at Gouripur station.
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