Gour Express

MALDA, Dec. 17: While the residents of Balurghat in South Dinajpur are happy with the reported decision of the Railway authorities to make Balurghat the originating station for Gour Express train, the people of Malda, including political leaders, are planning to launch a movement against the apparent decision.The Gour Express, it may be recalled, used to run between Sealdah and Malda. Though the Railway officials have not yet confirmed, unofficial sources said that the train would henceforth run between Chitpur and Balurghat, via Malda.Political parties of Malda, cutting across party lines, have condemned the move of the Railway authorities. Traders, too, have expressed concern over the apparent decision.It was the late ABA Ghani Khan Choudhury who had introduced the Gour Express train here when he was the Union Railway minister. Hence, the Congress leaders of Malda are not ready to let the train originate from Balurghat. Congress leader and English Bazaar civic body chief Mr Narendranath Tiwari said they would hold mass convention on the issue soon. The Malda district secretary of CPI-M, Mr Jiban Moitra, has also expressed unhappiness over the decision. He said they would urge the Railway ministry to reconsider the decision in the interest of the people of Malda. nSNS

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