- India
- International
Irate examinees on Sunday went on the rampage at New Jalpaiguri railway station ransacking the station master’s office, damaging an engine and two AC coaches and trying to set fire to the station, after being denied arrangements to stay overnight at the station. NF Railway Area Manager Parthasarathi Shil said over one lakh examinees from Bihar had arrived in Siliguri on Saturday to appear for the examinations for the Group-D posts conducted by the West Bengal government at various centres in north Bengal. They were on their way back home from New Jalpaiguri junction. However, no trains were available for the return journey Saturday, Shil said.
Examinees approached the station master on Saturday night and demanded arrangements for them to stay overnight at the station. However, they were allegedly chased away by the RPF, sources said. Agitated candidates went on rampage the following morning. They ransacked several platforms and the station master’s office, burnt tyres on the tracks, held up the Awadh-Assam express and damaged its engine and two AC coaches and tried to set fire to the station, Shil said.
The RPF together with the NJP police brought the situation under control. Several passengers, however, sustained injuries, the sources said. Shil said the damage to railway property was estimated at Rs one crore. The RPF has lodged an FIR against the agitators. Several superfast and long distance trains were held up as a result. These included Awadh-Assam express and Sealdah-Kamakhya express, sources said.
Agitation subdued at around 11 am Sunday after the Railways made arrangements for a special train to transport the examinees to Bihar, Shil said. Meanwhile, NJP Railway Passengers Welfare Committee President Dipak Mohanty alleged that the situation would not have taken an ugly turn had proper arrangements been made at the station for the examinees to stay.