GUWAHATI, Oct 24 - Passengers were adversely hit today as train services in the State were affected due to the rail roko agitation by the All Bodo Students� Union (ABSU).
�Normal running of trains got affected due to the rail roko agitation by ABSU in places like Kokrajhar and Basugaon under Alipurduar Division and Udalguri under Rangiya Division of Northeast Frontier Railway. As a result of the rail roko, many Up and Down trains had to be controlled at various stations. All the passenger-carrying trains were controlled at stations where basic amenities like water and food items are available,� Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) Pranav Jyoti Sharma said in a statement.
He said that Railway authority at various stations ensured that medical and catering facilities are available at all stations where the effected trains were controlled.
�Senior officials were manning the Control Rooms set up at Alipurduar, Rangiya and Maligaon,� Sharma said.
He said that rail roko agitation, which started at 4.45 am at various places, was withdrawn at 2.45 pm.
�After withdrawal of the agitation, all vital parameters of railway tracks were checked and security clearance was received at 3.15 pm and various long-distance trains which were controlled at various stations all over NFR, started their onward movement immediately,� said the NFR CPRO.
Among the Up trains controlled at various stations were 12345 Howrah-Guwahati Saraighat Express, 15645 Lokmanya Tilak-Guwahati Express, 15635 Okha-Guwahati Express, 15654 Jammu Tawai-Guwahati Express, 14056 Delhi-Dibrugarh Brahmaputra Mail, 12551 Yasvantpur-Kamakhya AC Express, 15959 Howrah-Dibrugarh Kamrup Express, 12517 Kolkata-Guwahati Garib Rath Express, 12436 New Delhi-Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express, 12424 New Delhi-Dibrugarh Rajdhani Express, 12506 Anand Vihar-Guwahati North East Express, and 15614 Murkongselek-Kamakhya Intercity Express.
The Down trains which had to be controlled were 12423 Dibrugarh-New Delhi Rajdhani Express, 12510 Guwahati-Bangalore Express, 15620 Kamakhya-Gaya Express, 15960 Dibrugarh-Howrah Kamrup Express, 12505 Guwahati-Anand Vihar North East Express, 15636 Guwahati-Okha Express, 14055 Dibrugarh-Delhi Brahmaputra Mail, 15930 Dibrugarh-Chennai Egmore Express, and 05942 Dibrugarh-Kolkata Special Express respectively.
Our Udalguri Correspondent adds: Over 30,000 activists of All Bodo Students� Union (ABSU) in association with activists of People�s Joint Action Committee for Bodoland Movement (PJACBM) and NDFB (P) today rocked Udalguri Railway Station with their pre-scheduled 12- hour railway blockade demanding early solution to the long-pending Bodoland State and political rights to the Boros living outside the proposed Bodoland area.
The railway blockade got under way from 5 am till 3 pm. During the blockade hours, the NF Railway suspended running of passenger and intercity express in between Dekargaon, Tezpur via Rangapara Junction to Kamakhya Junction via Rangiya Junction till 3 pm.
The ABSU-PJACBM-NDFB-P leaflet on the occasion said that the railway blockade carried out at Udalguri and Basugaon railway stations were for resolving the Boro people�s demand for creating Bodoland State immediately, to ensure political rights to the Boro people living outside the proposed Bodoland area, to protect, preserve and safeguard the identity of the Boro people with language, culture and tradition by creating a Bodoland State and to give rights and justice to enjoy the provisions of the Constitution of India in order to live with dignity and honour.
The programme at Udalguri Railway Station was addressed by Lawrence Islari, general secretary of ABSU, Dipen Boro, vice president of ABSU, Rakesh Boro, chief convenor of PJACBM, M Gerema, Home Secretary of NDFB(P) , Rodeep Kumar Daimary, former MCLA of BTC, Brojen Marak, organising secretary of Garo Students� Union and one representative each from the BTAD region committee of Assam Gorkha Sanmilan, Barman Kachari Students� Union and Deuri Students� Union respectively.
