Goemkarponn desk
CANACONA: Canacona Railway Stop Bachao Action Committee(CRSBAC) decides to give a call for Rail–Roko in Canacona if the contentious issue of providing ‘Halts’ to long-distance trains and related facilities are not extended to Canacona Railway Station in the next 15 days.
The decision came after CRSBAC members attended a joint meeting with Railway Officers as brokered by Canacona Mamlatdar at Mamlatdar office on Thursday.
As assured during the 13th January’ hunger strike’ by CRSBAC members at Canacona KRC Station, a joint meeting was held at Canacona Mamlatdar Office on Thursday, attended by Regional Railway Manager (KRCL) Balasaheb Nikam, Sr Regional Traffic Manager Sunil Nadkar, Canacona Mamlatdar Manoj Korgaonkar and Canacona PI Chandrakant Gawas and a horde of CRSBAC members led by coordinator Janardhan Bhandari and Convenor Shantaji Naik Gaonkar.
The agitating members narrated the sacrifices made by Canconcars by giving their land and spearheading counter-movement to support the railway line through Canacona, various other reasoning and justifications for resuming the halts and railway services as existing pre-Covid lockdown.
After giving a patient hearing, the Officers informed the same answer that the Railway Board will be notified about the demands of the Canacona people, which, incidentally, the KRC officials have provided to the protestors since they began the agitation on 15th December’2022.
After hearing the stereotypical reply yet again, all the CRSBAC members, including the Coordinator and Convenor, walked out of the meeting in protest and later, speaking to the media, blamed the railway officials for keeping the Railway Board and the Railway Ministry in the dark over Canconcars demands and agitations, and indicated Canconcars will have no other option but will have to resort to Rail-Roko if suitable solutions don’t come by next 15 days time.
‘People in Canacona parted with their land so that the Konkan Railway should come to Goa. Canaconcars even countered some agitations taking place against the Konkan Railway project. And when Canacona people stood during the thick and thin time of KRC, KRC is not forgetting all the sacrifices of Canaconcars, said senior Citizen and VRSBAC Convenor Shantaji Naikgaonkar.
‘The Senior Citizens took part in the morcha against the railways; they gave representations as well, and still, the matter has not reached the level of the Railway board is an overall insult to the Canacona people. It also doesn’t matter who is taking up the genuine issue and who is solving it’, said Social worker and former CMC Chairperson Rajendra Dessai.
CRSBAC member Prashant Desai said, ‘We will not take this type of delaying tactics, which are not in good taste and insulting as well. They had not even given a reply to the Speakers representation.’
Sandesh Telekar said, ‘If Railways continue to ignore our rightful and legitimate demand for long-distance Train Halts and other related matters in Canacona KRC Station for the next 15 days, CRSBAC will not lag behind to give a Rail-Roko Call, for which the authorities and government will be responsible. We will hold rail-roko agitation’.
Anil Bhagat, Ulhas Pai Bhatikar, Councillor Dhiraj Naikgaunkar, Madhukar Desai, Ex-Chairperson Ranganath Naikgaunkar, Shyamsunder Desai, Raju Rane, Govind Lolayekar, Mhalgo Gaonkar, Asha Nagarshekar, Vaibhav Phaldessai, Vaishnav Pednekar, Valerian Viegas, amongst many others present
