Siliguri, Sept. 28 -- Ashok Bhattacharya, former minister and veteran CPI(M) leader, warned that the barricade placed at Fuleswari Railgate to permanently shut it would be demolished if the Railways failed to reopen it. He also held state Tourism Minister Shankar Ghosh responsible for the closure, stating that the minister could have intervened to prevent it.

Addressing a press conference at his residence in Siliguri on Monday, Bhattacharya said the permanent closure of the railgate, just ahead of Durga Puja, would cause significant losses to local businesses. "Now the BJP is emerging as a major hindrance to public movement. They are closing railway crossings. This cannot be imposed on people in this manner," Bhattacharya said.

The Fuleswari Railgate is used by residents of Dabgram, Bharatnagar, Subhashpally, Deshbandhupara and areas around NJP. As a local market, including vegetables, fish, etc is located there, a large number of people, including pedestrians, used that crossing every day. The Railways permanently closed the crossing late on Saturday night, triggering protests among local residents and traders.

Bhattacharya said that during the Left Front government, the Railways had also proposed closing the crossing and constructing an underpass. However, the proposal was rejected and the Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority (SJDA) subsequently

constructed an underpass in the area.

According to him, the underpass cannot accommodate large vehicles, and the railgate was therefore not allowed to be closed. He alleged that the current state government failed to maintain or renovate the underpass. "The authorities should have repaired it before closing the railgate.

I will go there and demolish the barricade for the convenience of the people," Bhattacharya warned. Bhattacharya also alleged that the Tourism Minister Shankar Ghosh, whose residence is located in the ward where the railgate stands, was aware of the matter and could have intervened but failed to do so. Tourism Minister Shankar Ghosh abstained from commenting on the issue.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.