Residents protest against Railway boundary wall construction

Siliguri: Unrest flared in Kashmir Colony, located in Ward No. 32, as residents took to the streets on Monday to protest against the construction of a boundary wall by the railways.

The locals, along with area councillor Tapas Chatterjee, waving TMC flags, halted construction work, accusing the railway authorities of ignoring their concerns.

The Railways plans to construct a boundary wall on its land in the area. However, the proposed location of the wall would leave only an 8-feet-wide road for public use, posing severe transportation challenges for the residents.

Even emergency vehicles like ambulances and fire brigade will not be able to navigate the narrow stretch, alleged residents. This has led to widespread discontent among the community, who allege that their grievances are being overlooked despite previous assurances.

Mayor Gautam Deb had earlier been alerted to the issue during the ‘Talk to Mayor’ programme. In response, he visited the area last week with the ADRM of the Katihar Division. At that time, the ADRM assured residents that the railway would consider their concerns and report them to higher authorities. However, the construction was resumed, prompting Monday’s protest. “If the Railways doesn’t change its decision, we will escalate our protest,” warned Tapas Chatterjee. However, no reaction has been received from the Railways regarding this.