Rawle stirs peak traffic

Shiv Sena activists brought Central Railway services to a standstill for more than an hour on Thursday demanding the inclusion of 700 trade...

Shiv Sena activists brought Central Railway services to a standstill for more than an hour on Thursday demanding the inclusion of 700 trade apprentices in the regular cadre.

July 10: Shiv Sainiks led by party MP Mohan Rawle today staged a rail roko at Parel bringing the evening peak-hour traffic to a standstill between CST and Dadar for over an hour-and-a-half. They were demanding absorption of over 700 apprentices in the CR8217;s regular services.

By the time the agitationists, who squatted on the tracks at around 5 pm, dispersed around 6.20 pm, most of the stations between CST and Dadar were overflowing with anxious commuters. The rail roko began when a Thane-bound local was stopped by at least 300 Sena protestors. Around the same time a CST-bound local also was halted.

Soon, tracks between the two stations resembled busy pavements as commuters spilled out of trains looking for alternative modes of transport. Trains were lined one after the other on the CST-Dadar section.

The information of this surprise agitation was conveyed to officials at Dadar and CST, following which all CST-bound trains were terminated at Dadar.

Senior CR officials, meanwhile have expressed their inability to recruit 700 apprentices in one go. A visibly upset official told Express Newsline that the Sainiks, especially Mohan Rawle, should have shown some patience. 8220;Recruiting 700 persons without scanning their credentials is not possible,8221; he asserted. He claimed 110 apprentices have already been empanelled by the CR to be absorbed in the regular cadre. 8220;Rawle should appreciate the fact that the process has begun, even though the CR is not bound to recruit all or any of them as these apprentices are just summer camp trainees.8221;

Shiv Sainiks, however were in no mood to listen to anybody. 8220;Does it take seven years to recruit us even when we fulfil the requirements?,8221; asked a Sainik who was holding aloft a saffron flag as he climbed on a local.

Chhagan Bhujbal, leader of the opposition in state assembly, said the rail roko was unnecessary. He said Rawle should have taken up the issue in the Parliament. 8220;Holding innocent passengers to ransom for no fault of theirs is not the right thing to do,8221; Bhujbal said adding that worst affected were women who leave their children in creches.