MLA accused of hooliganism

Statesman News Service

MALDA, 9 SEPT: The Eastern Railway authority has lodged an FIR against the Kaliachak CPI-M MLA Mr Biswanath Ghosh for allegedly damaging railway property, blocking railway tracks, detaining several important trains and harassing passengers.Mr Biswanath Ghosh led people of his constituency to block railway tracks at Khaltipur railway station in Kaliachak from 3 p.m. yesterday to past midnight causing detention of several important trains at different railway stations including the Malda town station. Hundreds of passengers, mostly Malda residents, of Gour Express were detained at Malda town station and expressed grievance with the blockade.The MLA was agitating demanding stoppage of some important trains at Khaltipur station, modernization of the station, computer reservation counters at the station, a rail overbridge and repairs of the approach road to the station. Talking to reporters over phone last night, railway minister and Trinamul Congress chief Miss Mamata Banerjee expressed anger with the “deliberate act of the MLA,” and for holding up train movement and damaging railway property. The Malda railway divisional manager Mr M K Mathur today said they had lodged an FIR against the MLA.“We conveyed the agitators yesterday that the Malda railway division has sent a proposal for the stoppage of Intercity Express at Khaltipur and we are waiting for the green signal on the matter from the railway board. We also propose to set up a ‘single way’ ticket counter at the station so that people can avail of reservation facility. However, we have declined the demand for a rail overbridge because such a proposal has to come from the state government, which has to bear 50 per cent construction cost of the same,” Mr Mathur said. The MLA Mr Ghosh has, however, setup camp in the vicinity of Khaltipur station with his supporters. The have blocked the railway tracks, ransacked the railway station and furniture of the station office.In the meanwhile, the South Malda MP Mr A H Khan Choudhury has also sent a 14-point charter of demands to Miss Banerjee including the development of Khaltipur railway station, stoppage of some important trains and computerised reservation counters at the station.According to the locals and the Congress leadership, had Miss Mamata Banerjee accepted Mr Khan Choudhury's proposal, the CPI-M leader Mr Biswanath Ghosh would not have got the opportunity to organise the stir and take political mileage out of it. Mr Ghosh on his part said today: “The railway authority's decision to lodge an FIR against me is politically laced. They are trying to cover up their faults.”