Simulia: Thousands of people staged a rail roko at Markona railway station Saturday from 7.30 am till 4.20 pm, demanding halt of express trains like Dhauli, Jagannath and Utkal at Markona. Train services were thrown out of gear by the agitation.
As tension mounted in the area, 10 platoons of police were deployed. The administration imposed prohibitory orders under Section 144 in the area in the afternoon, but the protesters refused to budge from the stir and threw the order to the winds.
Over 5,000 people including women from various parts of Simulia and Markona area united under Simulia-Khaira Nagarika Manch participated in the protest.
Due to protests, several trains like Dhauli, Jan Shatabdi and Rajdhani were left stranded at Soro and Bhadrak stations.
Protesters accused railway authorities of neglecting their long-pending demand for a train halt.
During the protests, locals and administration officials came to the brink of a tussle. Police were on standby to lathicharge protesters.
However, collector Pramod Kumar Das rushed to the railway station and brought the situation under control. He held talks with railway officials and later assured the agitating people that a tripartite meeting will be held November 12 among the activists of the Manch, railway authorities and the administration.
Passengers had a harrowing time as they were stuck for hours at the stations. However, some volunteers served food to agitators and passengers stuck at the station.
The agitators warned that the stir will be intensified if their demands were not fulfilled.
Last Thursday, 21 locals had launched a hunger strike. Six of them were taken ill Friday and were admitted to the district headquarters hospital.
“In view of the protests, Section 144 has been imposed in the station area to keep protesters away,” said additional SP Sanjay Kumar Khosla. PNN
