Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri hit by strike

Train services were affected and normal life hit in Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri districts on Tuesday due to a 24-hour strike called by the Dooars-Terai Joint Action Committee.

A number of trains, including an inter-city express and the Sampark Kranti Express, were held up at different parts of Jalpaiguri, officials said. Besides large parts of the Dooars-Terai region, the towns of Bagdogra and Darjeeling are also partially affected as a result of the strike. Rail services however continue to function in the Alipurduar line. The committee, a forum of 26 organisations including the Akhil Bharatiya Adivasi Vikas Parishad, Intuc and KPP, called the strike to oppose the proposal of bringing Gorkha-dominated areas under the Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA).