SIT-IN PROTEST DEMANDING TRAIN HALTS

SIT-IN PROTEST DEMANDING TRAIN HALTS

28-JULY-ENG 2

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

BUXAR--------------------------A one-day sit-in protest was held at Tudiganj railway station on Monday, organized by the Tudiganj branch of the Rail Passenger Welfare Committee in accordance with a pre-scheduled program. The protest concluded conditionally in the late evening. The event was presided over by Branch President Umesh Prasad, while Imran Khan conducted the proceedings.

The protest was attended by the Committee's National President Dr. Sudhir Kumar Singh; Central Committee members Bijendra Singh Yadav, Rasbihari Rai, Kamendra Singh, and Pankaj Kumar Patel; as well as office-bearers and activists from Sadisopur, Bihta, Ara, Buxar, Baruna, and Dumraon. A five-point memorandum of demands was submitted to the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), Danapur, through the Station Manager.

The Committee demanded halts at Tudiganj station for the Buxar–Patna Superfast, Tatanagar–Buxar Express, Farakka Express, and Vibhuti Express trains. They also called for the punctual operation of passenger trains and the provision of basic amenities such as drinking water, toilets, passenger sheds, sanitation facilities, lighting, and CCTV cameras.

Addressing the protest, National President Dr. Sudhir Kumar Singh stated that the halts for several express trains at Tudiganj station were discontinued following the COVID-19 pandemic, which has adversely affected the station's revenue. Meanwhile, Branch President Umesh Prasad warned that if the demands were not met by August 15, an indefinite sit-in and protests on the railway tracks would be launched as part of a phased agitation.

Former *Pramukh* Badri Vishal Singh, former *Mukhiya* Raju Singh, Manoj Kumar Thakur, and *Sarpanch* Janardan Singh, along with numerous local public representatives and hundreds of rail passengers, were present at the protest.