Tyres Burned on Road as Residents Cite Three-Year Delay; Mukhiya Warns of Intensified Agitation
Key Points:
- Villagers stage one-day protest at Barigora rail gate in Parsudih over stalled underbridge project
- Foundation stone for underbridge was laid three years ago; construction yet to begin
- Mukhiya Sunita Nag warns of intensified agitation if railway fails to act soon
JAMSHEDPUR — Anger boiled over among residents near the Barigora railway crossing in the Parsudih police station area on Sunday, as villagers took to the streets demanding the construction of an underbridge that has been pending for three years.
The one-day protest was led by Mukhiya Sunita Nag and social activist Mithun Chakravorty. A large number of women and men participated in the demonstration.
Protesters burned tyres on the road and raised slogans against the railway administration. The demonstration drew attention to a long-standing civic issue affecting lakhs of residents in the Barigora and Salgajhuri areas.
Residents said the foundation stone for the underbridge at Barigora had been laid about three years ago. However, construction work has not begun even to this day.
As a result, lakhs of people in Barigora and Salgajhuri are forced to endure hours-long traffic jams at the railway crossing every day.
“The railway gate remains shut for long stretches each time a train passes,” said protest leader Mithun Chakravorty. “This causes severe hardship to school children, factory employees, and emergency patients alike.”
He also questioned elected representatives, saying that adequate initiative had not been taken to resolve this pressing problem. His remarks pointed to what he described as a lack of follow-through by public officials on a project already officially sanctioned.
Meanwhile, Mukhiya Sunita Nag issued a stern warning to the railway administration. She said that if the underbridge construction was not started soon, the agitation would be escalated further.
For now, the villagers have attempted to convey their demand through peaceful means. All eyes are on the railway administration’s next move.
The Barigora crossing lies on a route used daily by workers heading to industrial establishments in and around Jamshedpur. Railway crossings in the city have previously been the subject of civic protests over congestion and safety.
