LAW KUMAR MISHRA
PATNA: Two passenger trains,including a local Buxar-Patna were delayed due to the movement of the carcade of the chief minister,Nitish Kumar at Buxar,120 kms from here on Wednesday evening.Railways claimed trains were halted for nine minutes to allow passage of CM carcade to the Circuit House.Itarhi railway crossing was kept open for uninterrupted movement of the vehicles.
Chief Minister while talking to media persons here on Thursday morning claimed he has no knowledge if any train was stopped to facilitate his movement during the Samadhan Yatra.He said”Kab,Kahan,Kaise ,hamko nahi pata).
Santosh Kumar,gate man at railway crossing,however,said” railway crossing was kept open as the convoy of chief minister was expected to arrive.IT would have been risky to allow movement of train from the nearest station on the track when CM convoy was expected”.
District administration ,claimed no instruction was given to the railways to stop the trains and keep the crossing open”.Chief PRO of E C Railways,VIrendra Kumar said,the movement was affected for nine minutes for local factors.There was jam near the railway crossing,he claimed.
Union MInister of state for forest,environment and consumer affairs,Ashwini KUmar Chaubey,who represents Buxar in Lok Sabha,however claimed movement of trains were affected for 30 minutes to facilitate CM convy to pass through the railway crossing near railway station without interruption.While he claims to be on Samadhan(solution) yatra,his visit has created Vyadhan(disturbed)the people,Chaubey who was at Buxar on Wednesday regretted many old and women passengers were harassed due to the delayed movement of trains and the distressed passengers were forced to walk for some distance before the station as no vehicle was allowed and passengers were forced to deboard before the station.Chaubey has demanded an inquiry by the railway ministry into the VVIP treatment to CM at the cst of common passengers,
Nitish Kumar continued his Samadhan Yatra and visited villages in Koelwar and Sandesh blocks in neighbouring Bhojpur district. BJP leaders held a protest dharna at JP round about on Thursday.