Railway officials in Jamui are worried over the surge in subversive activities of the Maoists in the rebel-hit area.

The Railway Men’s Association members of Asansol division are planning to meet railway minister Mukul Roy to apprise him of the recent security lapses at Narganjo and Ghorparan stations under Eastern Railway. The organisation has alleged that in the absence of proper security, lives of railway employees posted at the two stations are directly under Maoist threat and they have to work under constant fear.

Sunil Dutta, the president of the association, confirmed over phone on Tuesday that a delegation would meet Roy soon. “We have requested the railway authorities several times in the past to take appropriate steps to counter the Maoists but nothing has happened so far. Maoist menace is common at the two stations,” he said.

He added: “One D.K. Pandey was posted at Narganjo as a stationmaster but he left the job out of fear. Pandey was on duty when rebels blew up the railway cabin and abducted him and a few officers on April 21, 2006,” Dutta said.

Jagta Nand Jha, the divisional railway manager of Asansol division, was not available for comment but a senior railway officer blamed the security agencies for the frequent attacks.

“The railway spends crores on security. Jamui police too take care of the two stations. It is not our duty to look after the Maoist attacks. What are the security agencies doing? They are not serious about their job and try to project the Maoists as the only problem,” the officer said.

On March 22, rebels had abducted stationmaster Kaushal Kisore, stationmaster and cabin in-charge Maldhari Rabani and porter Gajendra Yadav from Narganjo station.

The three employees had spent more than three hours in Maoist captivity. Train services on Narganjo, a halt station on the Kiul-Asansol main line, was withdrawn for more than seven hours on March 21 after the Maoists abducted the three employees during a bandh called by them.