Centre issues guidelines over bandh call by Gujjars

New Delhi, May 28: Union Home Ministry has issued fresh guidelines to Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and National Capital Region in connection with Thursday's 'NCR roko' call given by the Gujjar community.

The Railways have cancelled six passenger trains in North India. Till Tuesday, five trains were cancelled but one more has been cancelled on Thursday due to unabated violence in Rajasthan, a spokesperson for Western Railways said. Since May 24, four daily express trains to North India have been cancelled while three have been diverted. Six trains have been cancelled today and five are being diverted. The Ferozpur Janata Express from Mumbai Central to Ferozpur, August Kranti Rajdhani Express from Mumbai Central to Hazrat Nizamuddin in New Delhi, Bandra Terminus-Gorakhpur-Avadh Express, Bandra Terminus-Dehradun Express, Bandra Terminus Jammu holiday special Express and the Bandra Terminus Nizamuddin Sampark Express have been cancelled.

"All commuters are being given refunds on their tickets since it is due to no fault of theirs that the trains are being cancelled," the spokesperson said.

Routes of five trains including the Rajdhani from Mumbai to New Delhi and Golden Temple Mail are being changed, temporarily through Madhya Pradesh to avoid the trouble in Rajasthan, he said.

Railways have suffered huge losses due to the ongoing Gujjar agitation, a Northern Railways official said.

During the last five days, starting from May 23 to 27, Northern Railways has returned Rs 2,29,02,948 to 36,580 passengers having reserved tickets of the cancelled and diverted trains at New Delhi, Delhi and Nizamuddin railway stations, the official said. ,410 unreserved passengers were paid Rs 9,61,415 in return of their tickets.

Hundreds of passengers are still stranded at different stations in the region as the train movement in other sections has been disrupted by the agitations.

ANI