Conversion of the Udaipur-Ahmedabad railway line from meter gauge to broad gauge has hit a roadblock at Behna gram panchayat in Dungarpur district with villagers holding up the track. Villagers are demanding construction of  underbridge so that  villagers have no problems in commuting from their homes to fields and for taking their cattles for grazing.

Villagers are maintaining that railway line is being laid through their fields and this is preventing them from their agriculture work which happens to be their only source of livelihood. As per the villagers, their settlement is on one side whereas the fields are on other side of the track. With the only pathway from home to fields taken away by railways, villagers are demanding an under bridge for movement from home to fields.

The vehicles transporting construction material to the site were driven away by the villagers. A large number of villagers staged dharna on the track led by their Sarpanch, Salma Damor.

Punit Chawla, Divisional Railway Manager, Ajmer said that they have received a recommendation from the collector for construction of an under bridge. They are currently assessing whether budget will be spent by railway or by state government.

Readers may note that Ahmedabad-Himmatnagar meter gauge section has been closed for gauge conversion with the last train running between Udaipur and Ahmedabad on Dec 30, 2016.

Though the work is disrupted at Behna, dismantling of current meter gauge track, the laying and linking of main broad gauge lines, loop lines, sidings, spreading of ballast, track tampering and other ancillary works are currently in progress at Jaisamand Road, Semari and Rishabdeo segments in the Udaipur-Dungarpur section.