Rabindranath Biswas & John Wilbert
Kalighat/Diglipur, Dec 15: The school students of Govt. Model Sr. Sec. School, Sitanagar, Diglipur blocked the road at Kalighat Bazaar and stopped the STS bus enroute from Diglipur Bazaar to Ramnagar in the morning today.
As per report, the students of Govt. Model Sr. Sec. School, Sitanagar, Diglipur blocked the road at Kalighat Bazaar and stopped the bus at about 07.00 AM when they learnt that the STS bus providing the service to them was under repair and it wouldn’t be able to make the morning trip.
Owing to this road blockade, the traffic of either side reportedly came to a standstill.
The students coming from Kalighat village and its nearby areas who go to Govt. Model Sr. Sec. School, Sitanagar, Diglipur and travel by STS bus have been facing adversity for the last few days owing to irregular bus service in the route.
They also revealed that, sometimes the bus develops snag in mid-jungle and the students have to walk several kilometres to reach their destination; while on some other occasion, they are compelled to travel by some pvt. carriages like jeep etc but these pvt vehicle owners charge them a hefty fare which the indigent students can’t always afford. And the breakdown of buses happens on to and fro movements thereby putting them in unspeakable difficulties. They become late in school in the morning, while they reach home late in the evening owing to this erratic bus service, they bemoaned.
And these are the prime reasons why they resorted to blockade the road and bus, the students said. The local Police intervened in the matter and tried to solve the issue, but it yielded no fruitful result. The students along with parents wanted the Assistant Commisioner’s presence and intervention so as to resolve the issue.
In the meantime, staffs of the STS Unit Diglipur reached the spot and said that henceforth the bus service would be regular, but the students remained unswerving on their stand and demanded the AC’s intervention.
Following this, the Tehsildar Diglipur arrived on the scene. The students then put forth their demand before the Tehsildar and demanded that the buses meant for them should regularly ply on the route and it is also ensured that the buses don’t remain under repair.
The Tehsildar assured the harried students and their parents that he would take up the issue with the Assistant Commissioner and resolve the problem on priority thereby giving strict order to the STS Dept. to provide a regular bus service for the students.
Convinced by the Tehsildar, the students freed the bus. Another bus was provided for these students at around 10.00 AM when they were already for their school, the report further said.
