Inhabitants of Chandra Halam Para under Panisagar in North Tripura squatted on rail track today and blocked movement of trains in support of their demand for constructing a level-crossing in the area between Piller No 57/6 and 57/7. The blockade agitation started from 7am today in which villagers of Rothabil area of Chandra Halam Para took part. Later, the blockade was withdrawn after DM of North District Raval H Kumar intervened in the evening. Even as villagers agreed to withdraw the agitation, they are determined not to drop their demand. The DM appealed to the villagers to wait till Sunday.
As the villagers starting gathering along the rail track, Police from Panisagar and GRPF personnel from Dharmanagar and Panisagar rushed to the site of agitation – however, sensing the unrelenting attitude of the agitating crowd, security personnel deterred from taking any stern actions, local sources claimed.
Efforts to persuade the agitators continued day-long as Officials and MLA visited the site and held talks with the villagers without any fruitful gain. Later, DM held a meeting at his office in which a 5-member delegation of agitators met DM, SDM and Engineer of Indian Railways. DM told the delegates that local office had no power to decide on the matter – construction of level-crossing. He, however, requested the delegates to withdraw blockade and wait till Sunday. In the meantime, higher authority of the Railways will visit the site and prepare an estimate for the level-crossing project, he said to the delegates. After getting assurance from the DM, agitators called off the agitation and cleared the track.
| Read earlier report: Tripura villagers set to stall rail services demanding level-crossing in accident prone stretch |
The villagers were demanding a level-crossing on the railway route that bisected the area and gave the concerned authority an ultimatum to decide on the construction of the level-crossing within August 11 – however, as the authority failed to respond to the demand of the local people, villagers staged rail line blockade in between Piller No 57/6 and 57/7. This area is an accident prone area and a level crossing is essential for safety of people. However, the concerned authority is in favour erecting walls delinking the village from other areas, agitators alleged. “We want level-crossing as it is the only viable option”, said one Robert Ranglong.
