BY TC News Desk
Agartala, February 03: A railway worker lost his life after being hit by a speeding engine while repairing the railway line on a bridge in Dharmanagar on Saturday. The incident sparked protests by the local people and the railway workers, who demanded justice and compensation for the victim’s family.
The victim has been identified as Ramdeo Singh, 53, who hailed from Vaishali district of Bihar. He was working as a line monitor for the railway department and was assigned to check and repair the railway line through Panisagar area.
According to an eyewitness, the accident occurred around 11 am when Singh was working on Bridge No. 99 of the railway line. A light engine, which was heading from Dharmanagar to Panisagar, came at a high speed without blowing its horn. Singh tried to escape from the bridge, but could not avoid the collision. He died on the spot due to the impact.
As soon as the news of the accident spread, the local people and the railway workers gathered at the site and staged a demonstration. They blamed the engine driver for the negligence and demanded action against him. They also accused the railway department of failing to ensure the safety of the workers and providing them with adequate equipment and facilities.
The Railway Protection Force (RPF), Government Railway Police (GRP) and the local police reached the spot and tried to pacify the protesters. They assured them that the matter would be investigated and the guilty would be punished.
Meanwhile, the Divisional Railway Manager (DRLM) of the railway department, Priyanjan Kumar, who was travelling on the same railway line, was stopped by the protesters as he reached the spot around 2 pm. He got down from the train and met the workers and the relatives of the deceased. He expressed his condolences and assured them that the railway department would stand by them and provide them with all the necessary assistance. He also said that arrangements would be made to send the body of Singh to his native place in Bihar.
He then visited the accident site and instructed the officials to take the body of Singh to the Dharmanagar district hospital for post-mortem. He also ordered a probe into the incident and said that strict action would be taken against the engine driver if found guilty.
The incident has created a sense of fear and anger among the railway workers and the local people, who have demanded better safety measures and working conditions for the workers. They have also urged the railway department to expedite the completion of the border haat project, which has been delayed due to various reasons. The border haat, a weekly market for cross-border trade, is expected to boost the economy and the livelihood of the people living along the border.
