Jan. 25: The Opposition parties have thrown their weight behind the anti-Azara-Byrnihat railway line forcing Dispur to chalk out a formula that would be acceptable to all.

Sources said while the Pub Ramcharani Village Protection Committee and Azara-Byrnihat Railpath Nirman Pratirodh Samiti, backed by the AGP and the BJP, have decided to intensify their agitation programmes against the proposed railway line.

“The proposed railway line will pass through the West Guwahati Assembly constituency. Representatives of the committees and several residents of West Guwahati have already met their MLA Ramendra Narayan Kalita and discussed in detail how to stop the the project. Kalita, who represents the Opposition AGP, has assured them that he would cooperate,” the source said.

The Union railway ministry has put its seal on the 30-km-long railway line connecting Azara near Guwahati with Byrnihat in Meghalaya at the cost of around Rs 200 crore. The target year for completion of the project is 2011-12.

Opposition to the new railway line stems from apprehension that it would adversely affect those living in several areas of West Guwahati through which the line is proposed to be laid. The people would stand to lose cropland and other property.

A section of AGP and BJP leaders from West Guwahati is accusing the ruling Congress government of not giving due attention to the public complaints on the pretext that the state has nothing do with the project as it is being executed by the railway ministry.

Sources said the Azara-Byrnihat Railpath Nirman Pratirodh Samiti recently submitted a memorandum to chief minister Tarun Gogoi on the issue and sought his intervention. “Gogoi has asked Guwahati development minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to discuss the project with the railway as well as the protesters,” the source said.

Sarma has asked the NF Railway to submit a report on the status of the railway project and its plans to address the fears and apprehension of the people of West Guwahati. The minister will soon hold a meeting with the NF Railway to discuss the project in detail.

The state government has also asked NF Railway to clarify if it had changed the route of the railway under pressure from certain individuals who would otherwise lose huge plots of land if the project really took off.

The chief minister has also asked the forest department to study and investigate whether the execution of the project would affect huge forest areas and wildlife in Rani reserve forest to Garhbhanga and Deepor Beel, a waterbody.

“The state government has given great importance to the project as it would help considerably ease traffic congestion in Guwahati city,” an Assam government official said.