Train service on the Sealdah South section of Eastern Railway was disrupted for over four hours today as some local people obstructed movement of trains at Baruipur station to protest the eviction of encroachers beside railway tracks.
As several trains were stranded at various stations in the South section due to the blockade, aggrieved passengers ranacked the station manager's room, demolished the punching machine and set afire the TTE's (travelling ticket examiner) room at around 7 pm, Additional SP, South 24 Parganas, Saikat Ghosh said.
Ghosh said lathi-wielding policemen chased away the ransackers as the situation went out of control but normalcy was soon restored at the station compound.
Earlier at 4 22 pm, a section of locals blocked the tracks on both up and down sections protesting against the demolition of the shanties along the track by Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel.
The demonstrators, led by the local councillor of Baruipur Municipalty, claimed 14 toilets, built on the side of tracks, were also razed down by the GRP and demanded compensation be announced by the Divisional Railway Manger immediately.
A senior official of state government said the railways undertook the eviction drive without informing the state government.
The blockade and arson caused cancellation of 35 local trains while eight trains were stranded at different stations, an Eastern Railway spokesperson said.
The blockade, which commenced at 4.22 pm, could be lifted only after 4 hours but train services resumed from Sealdah at 8.34 pm, the railway official said.
In all, 35 local trains were cancelled and 8 trains were stranded in different stations for over four hours causing immense hardships to people returning home from work.
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