‘Rail roko’ stir cripples train services in Telangana

Telugu Desam leaders from Telangana region resorted to ‘rail roko’ at the Secunderabad railway station here,the headquarters of South Central Railway,since 6 am and were taken into custody by the security personnel.

“Our intention is not to inconvenience the people. This is to send a message across to the Centre that it should form separate Telangana,” senior TDP MLA P Venugopalachary told reporters at the Secunderabad railway station.

TRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao’s daughter K Kavitha blocked the train traffic at Bibinagar in Nalgonda district.

The TDP,although after participation in the rail roko,did not make sincere efforts to achieve separate Telangana,

she alleged.

TRS chief’s son and party MLA K T Rama Rao took part in the agitation at Moula-Ali railway station in the city.

The JAC Convener M Kodandaram participated in the rail blockade at Ghatkesar. In a bid to mount pressure on the Centre for formation of separate Telangana,the JAC has called for the rail blockade agitation across the region today.

The JAC Convener has appealed to the workers of all parties and all the residents of villages living along the railway tracks to squat on the tracks from 6 am to 6 pm.

“They will cook and eat on the tracks itself. Instead of living in their respective homes,the villagers would live on the tracks for a day,” Kodandaram told reporters.

The state police and the RPF have made elaborate security arrangements to face the situation arising out of the rail blockades.

State DGP K Aravinda Rao warned that action would be taken as per the Railway Act for holding up rail traffic and other relevant laws for any violation of the law.

To avoid any kind of trouble,the South Central Railways has cancelled over 23 Express trains,partially cancelled several trains and regulated others in the region today.

The trains which have been cancelled included Hyderabad-New Delhi AP Express,Vijayawada-Secunderabad Satavahana Express,Guntur-Secunderabad Golconda Express,Vijayawada-Sainagar Shirdi Express,Pune-Secunderabad special train,Hyderabad-Mumbai CST Hussainsagar Express,Hyderabad-Tirupati Rayalaseema Express,Hyderabad-Wadi Passenger and Secunderabad-Yeswantpur Garibrath Express,a SCR release said on Monday night.

Among others trains,Visakhapatnam-Secunderabad Janmabhoomi Express,scheduled to leave Visakhapatnam at 6 am on March 1,will be terminated at Guntur. Kacheguda-Akola Intercity Express will remain partially cancelled between Kacheguda and Nanded. Hyderabad-Purna Passenger will remain partially cancelled between Hyderabad and Bidar.

Vishakapatnam-Secunderabad Garibrath Express,Tirupati-Hyderabad Rayalaseema Express,Kakinada-Secunderabad Goutami Express and Yeswantpur-Secunderabad Garibrath Express,which were scheduled to start on Monday night,have been cancelled,the release said.