PATNA – Workers of the Railway Sangharsh Samiti staged a protest at Bihta Railway Station in Patna on Wednesday, demanding the commencement of the Bihta-Aurangabad railway line project. During the demonstration, the convenor of the committee, Chandan Kumar Verma, laid down on the tracks as a train approached. Despite 10 bogies passing over him, he miraculously remained unharmed.
Over 40 protesters joined Chandan Kumar Verma in the demand for the initiation of the long-pending Bihta-Aurangabad railway line project. The Suvidha Express (82355) headed to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminal arrived at the station, even though it had no stoppage at Bihta. As the train gained speed, the loco pilot stopped it in response to the raised alarm.
Protesters accused the railway administration of negligence, claiming that they had informed them in advance about the demonstration. ADRM Adhar Raj of Danapur Railway Division, Senior DCM Saraswati Chandra, and Senior DOM Prabhas Raghav reached the scene to engage with the protesters, leading to the evacuation of the railway track and the resumption of train operations.
Following the incident, there were calls for the dismissal of the train’s loco pilot, station master, and railway guard. The Bihta-Aurangabad railway line project, initiated 13 years ago by the then Railway Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav, remains stagnant, with no progress since its foundation stone was laid in Paliganj in 2007. The Railway Line Sangharsh Samiti had previously blocked the tracks on December 1, demanding action on the project.
Chandan Kumar Verma criticized the government’s response, questioning the orders behind firing on the protesters. He expressed concerns about the violation of democratic rights and urged an investigation into the incident.
Virendra Kumar, CPRO of East Central Railway, condemned the method of protest, stating that it was incorrect. He clarified that the protesters were demonstrating near the signal outside the station, and the Suvidha Express was halted by its driver. Railway officials and the local administration team were dispatched to engage with the demonstrators. The Railways emphasized that the survey work for the route was ongoing, and once completed, the project would progress with the preparation of DPR (Detailed Project Report).
