The simmering protests over a purported move by the Railways to permanently close down the Railway Station-Goods Shed road reached a flashpoint on Thursday when local residents thwarted an attempt by the railway authorities to erect barricades along the stretch.
The episode began to unfold around 2.30 p.m. when railway officials erected the barricades on the Ozhathil lane. A group of local residents led by Thomas Chazhikadan, MP, soon rushed to the spot and removed the barricades.
Review meeting
While the railway authorities held that the road was being closed down to facilitate the opening of a second gate to the Kottayam railway station, the people stood their ground and continued with the protests till the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) assured them to shelve the plan for the time being.
“The DRM has agreed to conduct a review meeting early next month to discuss about the closure of roads,’’ Mr. Chazhikadan said. According to the MP, the Goods Shed road is the only way out for the people living between the railway yard and the Meenachil river. It accommodates nine bylanes and offers access to several government offices. It also serves as a link road between Nagampadom and Kanjikuzhi.
Meanwhile, the Southern Railway has informed Mr. Chazhikadan that it has no plans to close down the road but only to restrict the entry of public vehicles as it would endanger the safety of passengers entering and exiting the railway station through the upcoming second gate.
“The goods unloading area is less than 10 m wide at both ends, which is the minimum requirement for trucks to turn around. Hence, providing way within this space is not feasible,’’ read a letter from R.N. Singh, General Manager, Southern Railway.
