Chakradharpur Railway Division worried at Kurmi rail agitation

Jamshedpur: A rail blockade movement will commence on Saturday, demanding Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for the Kurmi community.

Kurmi agitators are expected to block rail lines at nine stations (Gamharia, Sini, Kandra, Brijrajpur, Sonua, Manoharpur, Jaraikela, Bhalulata, and Bisra) in the Chakradharpur Railway Division. Meanwhile, in East Singhbhum, preparations are underway to block rail lines at Chakulia, Galudih, and Kokpada stations between Tatanagar and Kharagpur.

This could disrupt the movement of more than 40 trains on the Howrah-Mumbai, Odisha-Delhi, Tatanagar to Bihar and Uttar Pradesh routes, while the operation of more than 100 trains in Jharkhand, West Bengal, and Odisha is expected to be affected.

On the orders of the South Eastern Railway Zone, Chakradharpur division officials are in talks with the president and other officials of the Kurmi community to avoid blockade. According to the railway, the blockade will cause inconvenience to thousands of passengers, including patients and children, as well as those going for educational and job examinations.

Following the announcement of the blockade, the Chakradharpur division RPF and Tatanagar GRP have become alert. On the orders of Railway Superintendent of Police Rishabh Garg, police officials have requested a list of potential stations where members of the Kurmi community may block the tracks.

Meanwhile, at stations in sensitive areas, police personnel are engaged in raising awareness about the dangers of blockades. Additionally, orders have been issued to deploy additional personnel at rural stations to ensure the safety of passengers in case of train blockages.

Jharkhand Director General of Police Anurag Gupta held a law and order meeting via video conferencing in light of the Kurmi community’s rail blockade movement. During this meeting, police officers were ordered to intensify patrols to protect passengers and arrest identified leaders of the movement. The district police were ordered to coordinate with the RPF and GRP, depute magistrates, and take action under Section 163 of the BNSS.

Along with drone surveillance, orders were also given to install CCTV cameras outside the station to ensure action can be taken against those who block trains.