Demanding compensation for accident victim, locals block NH 52 in Jharkhand's Chatra

Chatra, Jul 11 (PTI) Traffic remained paralysed on Saturday on the National Highway 522 in Jharkhand's Chatra district due to a road blockade staged by locals demanding compensation for the family of a 28-year-old CRPF jawan killed in an accident, officials said. The blockade, which began on Thursday evening, was continuing as of 3 pm on Saturday. Hundreds of vehicles, including commercial trucks and passenger buses, remained stranded in long queues along both routes, they said. The crisis began on Thursday evening, when the victim, Lakshman Kumar Yadav, a resident of Birajpur village in Lawalong police station area, died after a dumper collided head-on with his motorcycle. The accident took place near Delho valley when Yadav was returning home from Simaria. He was initially rushed to Simaria Referral Hospital, from where doctors referred him to Hazaribag. While being shifted to RIMS Ranchi from Hazaribag, he died on the way. Yadav, who was posted in Jammu and Kashmir, had come home seven days ago on a month-long holiday. "The family members are demanding Rs 11 lakh as compensation. Talks are underway with the transport companies regarding this. Locals are also demanding the stopping of coal vehicle operations on the route from Hazaribagh district, a letter has been sent to the district administration," Simaria Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Nagargoje Shubham Bhausaheb said. He also stated that no government rules have been made at the state level to prevent coal vehicles from other districts from operating. Administrative measures, such as installing "No Entry" signs or speed breakers, can be taken. Manoj Chandra, the Simaria Assembly in-charge of the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and a Central Committee member, along with locals sat on an indefinite hunger strike from 10 am on Saturday at the incident site. "We are demanding mainly two points from the administration. First, prevent the operations of coal vehicles from Hazaribag on the route. Our second demand is that the families of people who lost their lives due to coal vehicle accidents should be given a minimum fixed compensation of Rs 11 lakh," he told reporters. He further said that coal vehicles are being driven recklessly on the route from Chatti-Bariatu in Hazaribagh district to Simaria-Delho. Hundreds of people have lost their lives due to these speeding coal vehicles. "The high-handedness of the transporting companies has reached its peak. Administrative officers, with the support of coal companies, are playing a role in suppressing such cases," he alleged. PTI COR RPS RPS RG