E-Paper
HC seeks report on action taken to open rail tracks
Acting on a public-interest litigation, the Punjab and Haryana high court has directed the Haryana government to inform the court by Thursday about the steps taken to make the movement of trains normal.
Acting on a public-interest litigation, the Punjab and Haryana high court has directed the Haryana government to inform the court by Thursday about the steps taken to make the movement of trains normal.
Train service through the state has been disrupted since nearly two weeks by the blocks put up by Jat agitators demanding reservation in jobs.
The division bench headed by chief justice Ranjan Gogoi also directed the state to report the extent of success achieved after the action taken by the authorities.
The petition filed by NGO National Consumer Awareness Group Society, Chandigarh, had sought directions to the state to take steps to ensure railway tracks all over Haryana were opened.
The petitioner had also sought directions to Daljit Singh Panghal, district president of the Akhil Bhartiya Jat Sangarsh Samiti, Hisar, and two other organisers of the agitation in the state to not disrupt rail or road traffic.
However, the bench observed that unless specific details about the obstruction were not submitted, it would be difficult for the court to make assessment of the situation and issue directions.
The bench directed the petitioner to inform on the next hearing, March 24, about the extent to which train movement was affected.
It was brought to the notice of the high court that the Jat agitators, on March 3, gave a call for convening a public meeting in the name of "Jat Balidan Rally" to press their demands for reservation in public employment. Now, a large section of the community has been instigated in Haryana to block almost all railway tracks passing through the state. It was stated that this had affected the supply of essential commodities, including coal to thermal power plants in the state, which was likely to close the plants.
