Siliguri, 06th December: The Himalayan Forest Villagers Organization and Uttar Banga Ban-Jan Shramjibi Morcha held a press conference at Siliguri Journalists Club on Monday and raised multiple demands, including a Green Tribunal case against the Sevoke-Rangpo railway tunnel.
Lal Singh Bhujel, the convener of Uttar Banga Ban-Jan Shramjibi Morcha, said that for a long time the people from the hills had been demanding proper rights for the forest people. Parliamentary demands were passed in 2006 and legal rights came into force on January 1, 2008. Despite this, the Sevoke-Rangpo railway tunnel is being built underneath the village.
“We are filing a case against the railways in the Green Tribunal. Due to the Sevoke Rangpo railway tunnel, 24 villages are directly affected. People are being deprived of water from mountain springs. Occasionally, landslides are being witnessed due to these obstacles,” he added.