Rail samiti members call off indefinite fast

Our Correspondent

Nurpur, December 16

The Kangra Valley Rail Sudhar Sangharsh Samiti called off its indefinite fast this afternoon after receiving a written assurance on behalf of the Divisional Railway Manager, Ferozepur, that three suspended rail services (up and down) on the Pathankot-Jogindernagar rail line would be restored within the next 20 days.

Karam Chand Nanda (72), chairman of the samiti, had gone on an indefinite fast at the Guler railway station in Jawali subdivision. The samiti had been demanding the restoration of these three rail services suspended around six months ago and plying of regular trains on this route.

Baldev Raj Sharma, a local railway official, approached the samiti this afternoon and gave them a written assurance on behalf of the railway authorities. He also offered juice to the samiti chairman to end his fast. After calling off his indefinite fast, Nanda said the samiti had only deferred its hunger strike. If the railway authorities didn’t fulfil their assurance, he, along with two octogenarians Kartar Singh (96) and Ami Chand (92), would observe an indefinite fast, he said. The agitation was also supported by the Nav Bharat Ekta Dal.