NFR issues notice to 20 GCPA leaders for disrupting railway services

Guwahati: The Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has issued legal notices to 20 leaders of Greater Cooch Behar People’s Association (GCPA) for blocking train services at Jorai Railway Station in West Bengal’s Alipurduar Division on December 11 last year, officials said here on Saturday.

Demanding separate Greater Cooch Behar state, more than 5,000 agitators blockaded the railway lines at Jorai Railway Station in Alipurduar Division on December 11 last year leading to the cutting off the entire northeastern region from the rest of the country through the railway network. The GCPA has been spearheading the agitation for the past many years.

NFR’s Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Kapinjal Kishore Sharma said as a result of this forced rail blockade, railways had to suffer a financial loss of Rs 5.61 crore. “Due to the financial loss incurred because of the blockade, Railways had served a compensation notice through the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Alipurduar to the 20 leaders of GCPA who led the agitation on December 11 last year. In due course of time, action would be taken as per law to make up the losses,” he said.

Sharma said that as a result of the rail blockade, several trains had to be cancelled and several trains were diverted through the alternate route. Passengers travelling by trains suffered a lot, he added.

The CPRO also said that the agitators created nuisances and hampered the railway working system and the blockade was completely unauthorised and the agitators violated several sections of laws by obstructing the train movement, endangering passenger safety and trespassing into railway premises.

On duty Railway Protection Force, Government Railway Police personnel and local police officials tried to resist the agitators several times through the public address system, and loudhailer and gave instruction for the withdrawal of the agitation. However, the agitators denied withdrawing the obstruction from the railway track. All the steps taken by the on-duty security staff were being done as per the law, the official said.

Sharma said that the railway is seen as a soft target for many agitator groups, though the demands of the group are in no way concerned with the railways. The offences committed by such groups are extremely severe and have far-reaching consequences directly putting passenger safety at huge risk, he pointed out.

The CPRO said that the railways would always work to keep its passengers' trust in safety and security upheld and never inspire such groups with their illegitimate demands to see railways as an easy and soft target.

The NFR operates in the northeastern states and in seven districts of West Bengal and five districts of north Bihar.