Rail Roko agitation: Mumbai students block lines demanding jobs
THE ASIAN AGE. | RAJESH JADHAV
Published : Mar 20, 2018, 3:08 pm IST
Updated : Jul 6, 2019, 3:32 pm IST
Mumbai-Students of All India Railway Act Apprentice Association stage blockade demanding jobs in railway sector near Dadar and Matunga. (Photos: Rajesh Jadhav)
The students blocked the rail track at 7 am, forcing railway to stop the suburban as well as express train in the affected section between Matunga and CSMT.
cores of agitated students demanding jobs in railways blocked rail traffic, including suburban services between Matunga and Dadar stations, causing difficulties to lakhs of commuters on Tuesday.
One of the major demands of the agitating job aspirants, mostly comprising those who have passed the Railway Act Apprentice exam, is scrapping the 20 per cent upper limit for hiring.
Addressing a hurriedly-called press conference, Goyal said the 20 per cent posts were reserved in keeping with the "various judgements pronounced by the Supreme Court from time to time and as per section 22(1) of the Apprentices Act".
According to Railways officials, the entire four lines between Matunga and CSMT were affected, while police and Railways officials are conducting talks with the agitating railway job aspirants.
The protest comes at a time when more than 4.5 million commuters were badly hit for the second consecutive day following a strike called on Monday by drivers of cab aggregators and app-based taxis that disrupted in Mumbaikars' schedules.
Attempting to restore normalcy, local police resorted to mild lathi-charge and some protestors retaliated by pelting stones at the police. At least five persons and a couple of police personnel were injured in the exchange.