RailEnquiry

It plans to hold rail roko on June 19 in support of its demands

Citizens’ forum of Chatrapur, district headquarters town of Gnajam, has demanded better amenities and stoppage of several express trains at Chatrapur station.

Leader of this citizens’ forum, R.Srinivas said they would resort to rail rook agitation at Chatrapur if steps were not initiated by authorities of East Coast Railway Division regarding their demands. “These are long standing demands of our area which we have brought up before railway authorities and administration several times in the past,” Mr Srinivas said.

It may be noted that part from being a district headquarters town, Chatrapur also has two industries and a port near it. They are the Odisha Sands Complex (OSCM) of Indian Rare Earths’ Limited (IREL), Jayashree Chemicals and Gopalpur port. So, the citizens’ forum felt all express trains should have stoppages at Chatrapur. Several express trains have their stoppage at Chatrapur.

But trains like Howrah-Yashwantpur express, Bhubanswar-Yashwantpur express, Bhubaneswar-Chennai express do not have stoppage at Chatrapur. The citizens’ forum demanded stoppage of these trains at Chatrapur station. Apart from it they also demanded the Bhadrak-Khallikote DMU be extended up to Chatrapur. “We have already informed all concerned authorities regarding our demands. We are planning to hold rail rook at Chatrapur on June 19, if not steps were taken regading our demands,” Mr Srinivas said. A rail roko at Chatrapur would affect railway traffic on the Howrah- Chennai railway route.