SANGUEM/ponda: Kalay villagers threatened to launch an agitation if the railway authorities failed to resume the train service from Kalay to Sanvordem within a week after they met the Kalay Railway Station Master over this matter.
Kalay Sarpanch Narendra alias Baban Gaonkar who led the delegation on Sunday said the local train service from Kalay to Sanvordem was stopped in October this year because of ongoing railway work.
“The railways had then promised to re-start the service after one month, and that period is over hence we met the Station Master to ask for resumption of the service,” he said.
He lamented that instead of honouring their promise of restarting the service, railway authorities keep asking for an extension of one month every time the villagers met them.
“The students studying in Curchorem are the worst affected by the suspension of this service,” he said while demanding its immediate resumption.
Given the fact that the train would depart from Kalay at 12.30 pm and return to the village at 2 pm, it was very helpful to the students.
“While higher secondary students would board the 12.30 pm train to go to their schools, those attending school in the morning would return home by the 2 pm train,” he said.
The villagers were particularly incensed that the passenger train service has not yet resumed while trains transporting coal can be seen moving frequently.
“This discrimination against the public will not be tolerated and we shall take the railway authorities to task,” avowed one agitated villager.
The lone bus plying in the village is of no help as it departs at 2 pm while classes start at 1 pm while the train departing at 12.30 pm was ideal.
Left with no option, some villagers have engaged private vehicles to transport their children, which they point out is draining their pockets.
The villagers also demanded a rail over bridge for two villagers to help them cross the railway track without enduring the closed gate system.
