MLA Behad sits on dharna with villagers demanding underpass near Pantnagar railway station, warns of stopping trains after Navratri if not approved in 10 days

Kichha MLA Tilak Raj Behad sat on a dharna with villagers on Sunday demanding an underpass near Pantnagar railway station. During the protest, which lasted about an hour and a half, he handed a memorandum to railway officials demanding approval for the underpass within 10 days. The MLA warned that if the demand is not met in time, an indefinite dharna will be held at the station right after Navratri to disrupt train movement. People from dozens of nearby villages, including Jawahar Nagar, Shantipuri and Bindukhatta, reach the main highway via Pantnagar railway station. Villagers allege that the railways had earlier promised a route through an underpass or overbridge, but instead parked a goods train on the track and completely blocked the road to the villages. Former minister-rank holder Harish Paneru, Kichha municipal council chairman Rajesh Pratap Singh and labour leader Janardan Singh backed the protest. Station master Vimal Kumar said the memorandum will be sent to senior railway officials. (Source: Hindustan)