Title - Irked residents stop trains

Mangalore : In protest against the closure of Padil-Bajal railway gate for long time, the residents of Padil staged a protest and stopped the movement of six trains, at Padil in Mangalore on Monday night.The protest which commenced at 8.15 pm was withdrawn at 12.15 am following the assurance from Assembly Deputy Speaker N Yogish Bhat.The gate was closed for a train to pass, around 8.15 pm and even after one train passed, the gate was not opened.As the queue of vehicles grew, lot of people gathered around the gate. The gate remained closed for more than an hour. As the residents had lost patience waiting for the gate to open, when the staff came to open the gate, they did not allow him to open the gate and assaulted him and blocked the movement of the train. More than 100 vehicles remained stranded on either side of the gate for four hours.“I have been residing in the region for the last 19 years. In spite of urging the authorities concerned to construct a railway over bridge, the pleas have fallen on deaf ears. Several people have lost their life in the ambulance. Several pregnant women have delivered waiting near the gate,” said Padil resident Bhagya.The school children, office-goers have to wait for hours. The railway officials, elected representatives do not understand our problem, said Bajal resident Sudheer.The protesters said that the railway officials had promised not to delay the work on railway under bridge in a meeting held on April 2 in Mangalore. However, the promise has remained only on paper, they alleged.Promise Yogish Bhat who visited the protesters promised to convene a meeting on May 25 to find a permanent solution to the problem. The meeting will be attended by Deputy Commissioner, MCC Commissioner, Palghat railway division officials.

Negligence

Mangalore City Corporation Commissioner Dr Harish Kumar said the MCC has not neglected the issue. “The Railways have been neglecting the issue of railway under bridge in Padil. The MCC can bear 50 per cent of the cost of the project only after the tender process is complete. The Mangalore City Corportion has already earmarked fund for the purpose,” he said.

City Police Commissioner Seemanth Kumar Singh said that no untoward incident was reported on Monday night. The Railways have not registered any complaint against the protesters. The Railways have agreed to open the gate if there was a gap for the movement of trains.