Title - Rail passengers to face protest heat

VISAKHAPATNAM: After bus travellers, it is now the turn of railway passengers to face the brunt of the Samaikyandhra protests against the Congress Working Committee's (CWC) resolution on bifurcation of the state following the call for a one-day 'Seemandhra Rail Roko' given by the leaders of the Samaikyandhra Youth JAC on Sunday.As many as 2,000 agitators are expected to participate in the protests that may hit 114 railway stations dotting the 400-km long railway line cutting across Srikakulam, Vizianagaram and Visakhapatnam districts that fall under the Waltair division of the East Coast Railways (ECoR). However, acting upon warnings by the Railways' intelligence sleuths about destruction of railway properties under the pretext of Samaikyandhra protests, officials from the Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) have made security arrangements at all stations from 6 pm on Saturday (August 10) to 6 pm on Sunday (August 11). The GRP at Visakhapatnam railway station alone has deployed 769 police personnel, including 29 circle inspectors, 69 sub-inspectors, 119 head constables, 399 police constables, 153 women police constables and even 10 videographers, within its jurisdiction up to Kasimkota railway station towards Rajahmundry and Kothavalasa towards Vizianagaram. The GRP personnel will also put escorts in important trains up to Gudur railway station in a bid for passenger safety in addition to patrolling of tracks by a special pilot train with armed forces. The RPF will have striking, standing and Quick Reaction Team (QRT) attached to the station masters in all major railway stations. "We have been given strict instructions by our superiors to not hesitate to take any kind of action as per rules if the situation goes out of control. All 399 police constables have been instructed to take video recordings on their phones of any incidents of destruction to trains or railway properties. We have also organized videographers to gather any evidence of destruction," said Vizag GRP circle inspector A Parthasaradhi.

Twenty-one sensitive points have been identified within our limits, Parthasaradhi said, while appealing to protestors, particularly students, to not create any disturbance at railway stations or on the tracks as they could face cases under various sections of the Indian Railway Act. The Sections 147 (for trespass), 154 (damage and destruction) and Section 174 for organising rail rokos and disrupting trains) under the Act will be imposed on the accused, leading to a jail term of up to 10 years, he explained.

Railways sources said nearly 85 trains are scheduled to pass through the city railway station from various parts of the country on Sunday. Anil Kumar, divisional railway manager, Waltair Division, said he had already instructed his staff as well as security forces to take all precautionary measures for the smooth passage of trains during the rail roko.

Meanwhile, city police commissioner B Shivadhar Reddy instructed his staff to install CCTV cameras and video cameras at all railway gates and important junctions in the city limits and also instructed them to file non-bailable cases against the agitators.

On the other hand, Vikram Jeet Duggal, superintendent of police (Visakha rural) also alerted his staff to ensure that all trains pass through the stations without any interruption. However, the leaders of agitators, including Samaikhyandhra Youth JAC state president, Adari Kishore Kumar, on Saturday announced that they would stage a peaceful 'rail roko' without interrupting passenger services from 6 am onwards on Sunday.