Ranchi, Aug. 17: Construction of the remaining 30km of the Lohardaga-Tori rail link, which once complete would cut down travelling time to Delhi from Ranchi by at least three hours, will be carried out under strict police vigil.

The Rs 1,000-crore link is part of the Ranchi-Lohardaga gauge conversion project, which has been inordinately delayed due to rebel activity.

Of the 44-kilometre-long stretch, tracks have been laid only for 14km, up to Barkichampi. The remaining 30 kilometres run through dense forests where rebels rule the roost.

In May this year, Maoist rebels torched equipment belonging to contractors engaged in constructing the new line between Barkichampi and Tori.

“We will provide police protection in the disturbed stretches of the Lohardaga-Tori line. The area is forested and we have requested the railway authorities to create infrastructure so that the forces can stay there,” Latehar superintendent of police Kuldeep Dwivedi told The Telegraph.

On August 14, chief secretary A.K. Singh had directed the Latehar and Lohardaga authorities to provide required security cover in the stretches concerned so that the pending work could be completed by January 31, 2011. Singh also directed hiring more manpower and other resources to complete the work at the earliest.

Deputy chief engineer of South Eastern Railway’s Ranchi division Ajit Singh told The Telegraph they would try to complete the project by 2011-12 despite problems.

According to Singh, about a dozen different contractors were involved in the work.

The Lohardaga-Tori stretch was scheduled to be completed by 2009-10. Instead, only the Lohardaga-Barkichampi stretch is ready, though work started way back in 2004. Much of the delay has been due to rebel activity in the area. At least on three occasions the Maoists have abducted men engaged in laying tracks on the Barkichampi-Tori route. The repeated harassment by Maoists affected work and slowed progress.

The Lohardaga-Tori link would ultimately join the existing Daltonganj-Delhi main line, thus reducing the journey time between Ranchi and Delhi by about three hours. At present, the distance between Ranchi and Delhi, via Muri-Barkakana-Tori, is about 1,300km. The new route will enable trains from Ranchi to reach Tori via Lohardaga and then take the Daltonganj-Delhi route.