Hunger strike over tunnel in Bilaspur reaches 6th day

The hunger strike by the locals over the Badhyat tunnel in Bilaspur district reached its sixth day on Thursday, with a stalemate continuing between them and the administration.

A delegation of the strikers, sitting on a dharna outside the under-construction tunnel number 17 of the Bhanupalli-Bari railway line, approached the administration for talks on Wednesday, but no solution could be found, one of them said on Thursday.

The tunnel is being dug by the Indian Railways to link the Bhanupali-Beri rail line with the area, but the locals complain that the activity has endangered their houses.

Protesters on Thursday burned an effigy of the general manager of the company constructing the tunnel and raised slogans. The work remains suspended.

On Tuesday, Deputy Commissioner Rahul Kumar met the affected families and saw the cracks in the houses. A talk between him and the locals ensued, but to no avail.

The affected families said the deputy commissioner found that these houses were in the danger zone and said they would be acquired. The railway company, however, has been insisting that the houses would be repaired – a proposition unacceptable to the people.

The villagers also complained that the committee formed by the administration does not have any technical officers in it, nor any villagers.

It has been 19 days since the locals embarked on their movement, demanding the formation of a committee with technical officers a part of it.

The forum’s legal advisor, Rajneesh Sharma, alleged that the construction company deliberately put the villagers in danger and disregarded the rehabilitation law.

A criminal case should be registered against it, he added.

Speaking on behalf of the villagers, the body’s vice president, Devi Ram, said a fast unto death will be started if their demands go unmet.

Himachal Tribune