Rail roko by Koshal Dal at Balangir; 61 arrested

Pioneer News Service | Balangir

Several activists of the All Koshal Students' Union, a wing of the Koshal Kranti Dal, led by Dolamani Pradhan, Swadhin Mishra and president of Koshal Kranti Dal Promod Mishra and Bibhudutta Mishra, staged a rail roko at Balangir railway station on Friday morning for nearly an hour, demanding formation of a separate Koshal State, setting up of the State's proposed IIT and Central University in 'Koshalanchal,' and a Koshal university at Balangir, besides withdrawal of the Railway Board's letter to stop the Khurda-Balangir railway line project.The activists blocked the movement of Sambalpur-Rayagada Express and Kantabanj-Bilaspur train, as a result of which many passengers were stranded at the railway station.
Dolamani Pradhan argued that even though there are 11 universities in the State's coastal belt, the Government has decided to set up the Central University in Bhubneshwar. Except the Sambalpur University, there is no other university in the western region. In view of the backwardness of the region and in order to accelerate the development process, the Central University should be set up anywhere in the Koshal region.Koshal Kranti Dal president Promod Mishra said the cancellation of the Khurda-Balangir railway line project shows the step-motherly attitude of the Central and State Governments towards 'Koshalnchal.' "We are staging a peaceful protest here, and if our demands are not met, the Koshal Kranti Dal would stage an economic blockade soon, he threatened.A total of 61 Koshal Dal activists were taken into custody for participating in the rail roko, said DSP N Dandsena.