JHARGRAM: An agitation by the Kurmi neighborhood to press for his or her demand for Scheduled Tribe (ST), throughout which they blockaded railway tracks and roads in elements of West Bengal, entered the sixth day on Sunday, officers mentioned. Several organisations of the Kurmis blockaded railway tracks and adjoining NH 6, which connects Kolkata to Mumbai, at Khemasuli in Paschim Medinipur district and Kustaur station in Purulia district, they mentioned.
Seventy-four trains had been cancelled and tons of of automobiles had been stranded on Thursday because of the blockade. “A total of 496 trains have been cancelled since April 5 due to the ongoing stir,” a South Eastern Railway assertion mentioned. Among the trains cancelled on Saturday had been Howrah-Chakradharpur Express, Howrah-Bokaro Steel City Express, Ranchi-Bokaro Steel City Passenger Special, Howrah-Barbil Jan Shatabdi Express, Purulia- Howrah Express, LTT-Shalimar Express, Howrah -Pune Duronto Express, the SER mentioned.
Puri-New Delhi Express, Howrah- Mumbai CSMT Gitanjali Express, Howrah -Titalagarh Express and Santragachi-Purulia Express had been additionally cancelled, it mentioned. At least 64 categorical and passenger trains had been cancelled on Friday owing to the blockade. Hundreds of automobiles had been stranded on NH 6, triggering huge site visitors snarls even on the adjoining roads in Paschim Medinipur and Jhargram districts.
The Paschim Medinipur district administration officers held a gathering with the agitating organisations on Wednesday however ‘failed’ to achieve a settlement. “The blockade will continue until our demands are met,” mentioned Kurmi Samaj West Bengal committee member Sushil Kumar Mahata.
