Mumbai
Services badly hit.
Updated : Mar 20, 2018, 11:03 AM IST
Services on the Central Railway line in Mumbai which were badly hit on Tuesday morning after job-seekers protested on the tracks about several issues related to railway recruitment, have been resumed.
Railway traffic was resumed between Dadar and Matunga under heavy police protection as agitating railway job aspirants were present at the spot where they have been protesting
The protest by All India Railway Act Apprenticeship students were being held between Matunga and Dadar on Central line, giving a tough time to commuters going to work.
#WATCH: Railway traffic resumes between Dadar & Matunga, agitating railway job aspirants still present at the spot where they have been protesting, between Matunga & Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus railway station. #Mumbai pic.twitter.com/J72KIhc38b
— ANI (@ANI) March 20, 2018
Protestors from across the country participated in the protest demanding jobs in railways. They not only halted local trains but long route trains too, forcing commuters to take a walk to the nearby railway stations. Protestors allege that although they met Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, their demands were not redressed.
The protestors who have passed the Railway act apprentice exam are demanding a removal of 20% upper limit in the hiring of candidates for Railway jobs.
They claim that until now everyone used to be included in Group D but now they have fixed at 20% quota which was mainly for the new lot. The protesters claimed that they went on a protest at Delhi and Bhusawal, previously.
"We are running Up locals that are terminating at Kurla and returning as Special in Down direction," said Sunil Udasi, Chief PRO Central Railway.
Many stations on the CR - that ferries 42 lakh people daily - were overcrowded. People got down at Kurla and changed it on the Harbour line.
Meanwhile, the BEST has announced special buses from Dadar and Matunga station.
Passengers traveling on Central Railway have been asked to take Harbour or Western line due to Rail roko pic.twitter.com/cqJNeCBCeY
— Pratik Mukane (@pratikmukane) March 20, 2018
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The Railways has set a target of training 30,000 apprentices at its 17 zonal and seven production units in 2018-19, as part of the government's Skill India initiative.
Apprentice training comprises basic and on-the-job training/practical training. Basic training is an essential component of apprenticeship for those who have not undergone any institutional training before taking up on-the-job and practical training.