Bengal mulls running local trains in a phased manner

Kolkata: Criticising the coercive means of the Central forces to disperse people in difficulty at Howrah Station, the Bengal government on Saturday wrote to the Railway authorities for a discussion to run a few pairs of sub-urban trains following all Covid protocols.

Chief Secretary Alapan Bandyopadhyay said the state government has extended all support in resuming Metro services and it is being run following a model to maintain Covid norms. The state government believes that it is possible to develop a similar model for the local train service as well. So the Eastern Railway authorities have been informed and they have assured to send a team of officers within one to two days to discuss the same.

State Home Secretary H K Dwivedi's letter to Eastern Railway's General Manager Suneet Sharma comes after an incident at Howrah Station on Saturday evening in which Railway Police "used force to disperse people" who gathered to board the Staff Special train, meant only for the Railway staff.

More than 150 people gathered at Howrah Station and were restricted by the Railway Police from entering the station as they were not entitled to board the special train. It resulted in tension as the mob agitated protesting against the same and the Railway Police took "coercive measures" to disperse the crowd.

At present, when the usual suburban train service is not available, none apart from the railway staff and passengers of long-distance trains carrying valid tickets and identity cards are allowed to enter the station.

In his letter, Dwivedi stated that "it is painful to notice that you are running these trains (staff special trains) for your staff only. While many other sections of governmental service providers and members of society at large are denied these services. We are anguished that your central forces have used coercive means to deal with members of the public today in railway stations, which is deplorable. It has come to our knowledge that your railway police used force to disperse people in difficulty."

Mentioning the state government's all-out support in running the Metro trains peacefully, he further stated: "We have allowed special trains in our state on the observance of Covid protocol. Indeed, rather than taking resort to unquiet means, we could sit and discuss how a few pairs of trains could be run locally in the morning and in the afternoon hours to serve the general commuters at large. Obviously, all the norms of physical distancing and public hygiene protocol have to be maintained for plying these trains in the public interest."

It may be mentioned that earlier too there were similar incidents of protests for not allowing people to board staff special trains.