Malda, Feb. 16: The Intuc has called a 12-hour bandh in Malda district on February 21 to protest against the bifurcation of the Eastern Railway’s Malda division as announced in the budget presented by Lalu Prasad.

“We will not tolerate this insult to the division that was created by A.B. A. Ghani Khan Chowdhury in 1984. With Barkatda no more, the railway ministry thinks that it can do whatever it feels like,” said Intuc district president and the chairman of the Englishbazar Municipality Narendranath Tewari. He added that it would be ensured that the district came to a halt on February 21.

The merchants’ association in Malda will organise a convention on February 20 to protest against the creation of the Bhagalpur division by carving it out of the Malda division. “We will discuss how the district can lobby to get the order revoked,” said association secretary, Jayanta Kundu.

Today, the members of the Trinamul Congress met the divisional railway manager in his office and handed over a letter. Babla Sarkar, the district Trinamul Congress president, said if the railways stuck to the decision, Malda should be compensated by adding portions of the Northern Frontier Railway up to New Jalpaiguri, including Katwa and Rampurhat.

The DYFI has already taken to the streets and the CPM has given a call to people in the district to take part in the movement. The Congress has written to the Prime Minister requesting him to take up the matter with Lalu.