Cong members block rail tracks

Statesman News Service

MALDA, Feb. 14. — On the basis of instructions of the former Railway minister and senior Congress leader, Mr ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury, Malda Congress workers organised a rail blockade at Malda town station today, disrupting train services for more than an hour. The rail-blockade was launched by the Malda Congress workers in protest against the decision of the railway authorities for having changed the timetable as well as the destination of some important trains that pass through the Malda town railway station.The bone of contention is mainly the route travelled by the Gour Express from Sealdah to Malda town station, which was started by Mr Choudhury. It is now reported that the train will travel from Chitpur instead of Sealdah and the route will be extended to Radhikapur in North Dinajpur. Reportedly, the Malda Congress workers are unhappy with the change in the timetable. They demand that the railway authorities stick to the former train routes and schedule. The local residents and businessmen in Malda are also backing the Malda Congress workers in their protest against the decision of the railway authorities. Interestingly, the Malda Intuc leaders have also decided to launch another rail-blockade programme tomorrow on the same issue at Rathbari, under the leadership of Subrata Mukherjee, an MLA and former mayor of Kolkata Corporation and also the Intuc chief in Bengal. As per the Press release distributed by the Malda Intuc leaders, Mr Biswanath Guho and Mr Dulal Sarkar, informed that they were planning to put before the railway authorities a 10-point demand that would also include the demand for the introduction of a direct train from Balurghat to Kolkata via the Malda town station.