Railway passengers stage protest

MALDA, July 16: Railway daily passengers’ association staged an agitation against the railway authorities at Malda station this morning. Hundreds of passengers became violent when the New Jalpaiguri Passenger train did not start for its destination on its scheduled time at 8.55 am. Finally the train left for New Jalpaiguri after 10 am today. The office goers, who take the train to go to the northern part of Malda, lost their patience when the passenger train was detained . They staged a dharna in front of the office of the station master Mr. D Sinha.When the station master left his office ignoring passengers’ demands,the passengers protested more violently, before senior officials rushed to the spot to bring things under control. The protest was called off when the officials ensured that they would try to run the train on time. “The railway passengers’ welfare association has been protesting against railway authorities for the delay of this train on a regular basis. We had complained several times to the authorities but no action was taken”, said Mr. T K Das, a member of the association. The Malda town station officials, who are under eastern rail, only argued that the N F railway authorities were responsible for running the train, Mr. Das said. n SNS