Railways to deploy 700 additional force

The agitationists have given a call for NCR bandh tomorrow in support of the demand of the Gujjars for ST status in Rajasthan.      

Railway Minister Lalu Prasad today spoke to Cabinet Secretary K M Chandresekhar to ensure the movement of trains and protection of railway properties in the area keeping the bandh in mind.      

We are taking every possible steps to tackle the situation tomorrow, said a senior Railways Ministry official and added the RPF has been told to deploy additional forces along the railway tracks and properties to tackle the situation.      

Railways have suffered huge losses worth crores of rupees due to the ongoing Gujjar agitation.       

We have written to the Ministry of Home Affairs seeking direction to the states for providing adequate security to railway properties, said a senior RPF official.       

We have also written to the Director Generals of Police of UP, Haryana, Rajasthan and Police Commisioner of Delhi to do the needful keeping the tomorrow's bandh in mind, said the official.      

During the last five days, starting from May 23 to 27, Northern Railways has refunded more than Rs two crore to about 37,000 passengers at New Delhi, Delhi and Nizamuddin railway stations, according to a Northern Railway official.      

Hundreds of passengers were still stranded at different stations in the region as the train movement in other sections was also badly affected by the agitation.