SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Sept 20: Train services on the Howrah–New Delhi Grand Chord line came to a standstill in the Dhanbad Rail Division of the East Central Railway (ECR) on Saturday due to the ongoing agitation by the Kurmi community.
Protestors began their blockade around 7 am, squatting on the up and down tracks at Pradhan Khanta and Parasnath railway stations.
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Though the New Delhi–Sealdah Rajdhani Express and New Delhi–Howrah Rajdhani Express managed to pass Dhanbad on schedule, by 7:30 am large groups of agitators, including women, occupied the tracks at Pradhan Khanta despite heavy police deployment.
Sindri SDPO Satyam Kumar camped at Pradhan Khanta station, but his negotiations with the protestors failed to clear the blockade. By 1 pm, agitators were still sitting on the tracks.
At Parasnath station, Dumri MLA Jairam Mahto led the demonstration, completely disrupting traffic on the busy Grand Chord line.
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Railway officials said the Dhanbad–Alappuzha Express (13351), scheduled to depart at 11:35 am, would only be able to leave at 6:30 pm if normal traffic was restored. Several trains have also been diverted to bypass the blockades at Pradhan Khanta and Parasnath.
