<p>Kalaburagi: In a protest led by the Kalyana Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KKCCI), hundreds of leaders tried to barge into the City railway station here on Friday as part of the ‘Rail Roko’ movement urging the central government to announce separate Kalaburagi Railway Division in the budget. Police personnel stopped them at the main entrance.</p><p>KKCCI officials, along with members of various organisations, lawyers and students gathered at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Circle and staged a procession up to the railway station. They attempted to enter into the railway station to stop the trains but were prevented by the Railway Protection Force and local police leading to a verbal altercation between the leaders and police officials.</p><p>Terming the police action as suppressive attempt, the protesters demanded entry into the railway station to submit a memorandum to the authorities concerned. Meanwhile, the police officials allowed a few of the protesters. They condemned the central government by raising slogans. “A separate railway division is our right. Approval for the establishment of the full-fledged office should be included in the budget,” they said.</p><p>Sarin Committee</p><p>KKCCI president Shashikant Patil expressed displeasure by saying that the fight for the railway division has been going on for four decades. In 1984, the Justice H C Sarin Committee had recommended railway division for Kalaburagi and this has been still remained unfulfilled.</p><p>“In the 2013-14 budget, Rs 5 crore was allocated for railway division. A total of 43 acre of land has also been acquired and handed over to the railway department for this purpose. But, the demand has remained unfulfilled despite undertaking all these processes”, he lamented.</p><p>Bharat Ekta Mines vice-president Gurmit Singh Saluja said that the establishment of the divisional office would create 5,000 jobs, facilitate trade and benefit the industries and agricultural products, hence our peaceful agitation should not be ignored.</p><p>KKCCI former president Umakant Nigudagi contended that several pending projects of Kalyana Karnataka are being relocated elsewhere due to a lack of political will and step-motherly attitude of the central government. “We will escalate our movement if the railway divisional office is not established”, he warned. The protesters submitted a memorandum to railway station manager G G Mohan.</p><p><strong>Police security</strong></p><p>The police officials had made adequate security arrangement outside the railway station as a precautionary measures. They stopped the protesters from entering into the railway station by erecting barricades.</p><p>Forty RPF personnel, 48 state government railway police (GRP), 47 local police personnel along with one district reserved police van were deployed at the venue. </p><p>Kalaburagi Railway Division Establishment Agitation Committee honorary president Lingarajappa Appa, Palad Gurumurthy Shivacharya, former KKCCI president Prashant Manakar, honorary secretary Manjunath Jewargi, Cloth Merchant Association president Anand Dandoti, the district Veerashaiva community leader Arun Kumar Kodalangarga, Foodgrain and Seed Traders Association president Santosh Langer, District Hotel Owners Association president Narasimha Mendon, Uttam Bajaj, Basavaraj Kunnur, Sharanu Pappa, M S Patil Naribol and others were present on the occasion. </p>
<p>Kalaburagi: In a protest led by the Kalyana Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KKCCI), hundreds of leaders tried to barge into the City railway station here on Friday as part of the ‘Rail Roko’ movement urging the central government to announce separate Kalaburagi Railway Division in the budget. Police personnel stopped them at the main entrance.</p><p>KKCCI officials, along with members of various organisations, lawyers and students gathered at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Circle and staged a procession up to the railway station. They attempted to enter into the railway station to stop the trains but were prevented by the Railway Protection Force and local police leading to a verbal altercation between the leaders and police officials.</p><p>Terming the police action as suppressive attempt, the protesters demanded entry into the railway station to submit a memorandum to the authorities concerned. Meanwhile, the police officials allowed a few of the protesters. They condemned the central government by raising slogans. “A separate railway division is our right. Approval for the establishment of the full-fledged office should be included in the budget,” they said.</p><p>Sarin Committee</p><p>KKCCI president Shashikant Patil expressed displeasure by saying that the fight for the railway division has been going on for four decades. In 1984, the Justice H C Sarin Committee had recommended railway division for Kalaburagi and this has been still remained unfulfilled.</p><p>“In the 2013-14 budget, Rs 5 crore was allocated for railway division. A total of 43 acre of land has also been acquired and handed over to the railway department for this purpose. But, the demand has remained unfulfilled despite undertaking all these processes”, he lamented.</p><p>Bharat Ekta Mines vice-president Gurmit Singh Saluja said that the establishment of the divisional office would create 5,000 jobs, facilitate trade and benefit the industries and agricultural products, hence our peaceful agitation should not be ignored.</p><p>KKCCI former president Umakant Nigudagi contended that several pending projects of Kalyana Karnataka are being relocated elsewhere due to a lack of political will and step-motherly attitude of the central government. “We will escalate our movement if the railway divisional office is not established”, he warned. The protesters submitted a memorandum to railway station manager G G Mohan.</p><p><strong>Police security</strong></p><p>The police officials had made adequate security arrangement outside the railway station as a precautionary measures. They stopped the protesters from entering into the railway station by erecting barricades.</p><p>Forty RPF personnel, 48 state government railway police (GRP), 47 local police personnel along with one district reserved police van were deployed at the venue. </p><p>Kalaburagi Railway Division Establishment Agitation Committee honorary president Lingarajappa Appa, Palad Gurumurthy Shivacharya, former KKCCI president Prashant Manakar, honorary secretary Manjunath Jewargi, Cloth Merchant Association president Anand Dandoti, the district Veerashaiva community leader Arun Kumar Kodalangarga, Foodgrain and Seed Traders Association president Santosh Langer, District Hotel Owners Association president Narasimha Mendon, Uttam Bajaj, Basavaraj Kunnur, Sharanu Pappa, M S Patil Naribol and others were present on the occasion. </p>
