RAJDHANI EXPRESS

CPM detains Rajdhani at New Cooch Behar

The passengers of the Delhi bound Rajdhani Express had to face a tough time due to a Rail Roko stir that was staged at New Cooch Behar Railway Station by two frontal organisations of the CPI-M today. The blockade continued for about an hour.

The Cooch Behar district units of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and the Centre for Indian Trade Unions (CITU) staged the Rail Roko programme at 11 a.m. at New Cooch Behar Railway Station today. They also organised a gathering on the platforms of the station. Among the speakers at the gathering there were Cooch Behar MP (Rajya Sabha) and district CITU secretary Mr Tarini Roy and district DYFI secretary Mr Mahananda Saha.

District DYFI secretary Mr Mahananda Saha said the Rail Roko programme was planned to highlight their nine-point charter of demands including better amenities for the passengers. They also submitted a memorandum to the Alipurduar Divisional Railway Manager of the Northeast Frontier Railway through the station superintendent of the New Cooch Behar Railway Station.

During the demonstration when the 2423 Dn Guwahati-Delhi Rajdhani Express arrived at the station the agitators halted it amid heavy downpour. Though there were law enforcing forces like police and GRP they failed to convince the agitators from detaining the train. The agitators continued their blockade for about an hour.

Among the demands raised by the DYFI and the CITU there are : launching of double-line facility along New Jalpaiguri-New Alipurduar-New Cooch Behar section, speedy completion of New Mainaguri-Jogighopa railway project, introduction of train service between New Cooch Behar and Dhubri, plying of Uttar Banga Express up to Dinhata, stoppage of Garib Rath at New Cooch Behar and introduction of a chair car train between New Cooch Behar and Siliguri.