Baripada: Train services in the South Eastern Railway section was disrupted for nearly 90 minutes as Jharkhand Mukti Morcha(JMM) activists blocked the tracks near Narangabad on Tuesday to protest against railways neglect of Mayurbhanj district.

The railways had sanctioned a meagre Rs 60,000 for survey work to lay new railway lines between Bangiriposhi and Gorumahisani, JMM state general secretary Kalinga Keshari Jena said. The activists had blocked the tracks from 12.15pm to 1.45pm.

"The 42km line between Bangiriposhi and Gorumahisani is a long-standing demand of the district. All our appeals have fallen on deaf ears. This decision to allot Rs 60,000 reflects the railway ministry's neglect of the region. We had protested near Rairangpur on the issue in February, but the railway authorities didn't pay any heed to our demand," said Jena.

"Once the rail link between Bangiriposhi and Gorumahisani (Badampahad) is established, there would be a direct connection between Balasore and Tata Nagar via Baripada. There is already an existing line between Gorumahisani and Tatanagar. The distance to Tatanagar will be reduced by 39km. For travelling to Delhi, one will have a direct link from Odisha via Tatanagar instead of Kharagpur," he said.

Mayurbhanj district is bestowed with huge quantity of mines and minerals and everyday hundreds of trucks and lorries transport these minerals to various parts of the country. Besides, there are several tourist spots, including Similipal tiger reserve and waterfalls and ancient temples.

"The tourist potential is untapped due to the want of adequate rail links. This line would be a boon for this district," said a JMM activist.

"The picketing didn't have much effect on the movement of trains. After holding talks with the activists and they were convinced, train service resumed. They have sought time for discussion with the general manager. We would apprise our authorities about the demand of the agitators," said commercial inspector, Kharagpur, Anil Jarai.