Jat stir cost Rs. 300 Crore to railways

Train services resumed partially in Haryana Sunday as Jats seeking job quotas vacated tracks after around three weeks, the protests costing the railways Rs.300 crore, officials said. Railway officials are checking the tracks to see if any wear and tear has taken place. 'Rail traffic has been partially resumed, and soon it will be in full flow,' an official said here. The official said the three weeks of crippled train services in Haryana caused a whopping loss of Rs.300 crore.
Jats blocked rail tracks at several places to press their demand that a portion of government jobs should be set aside for them under the Other Backward Classes (OBC) quota. The worst-hit districts were Hisar, Bhiwani and Jind. The protesters Saturday withdrew their agitation after the government gave a written assurance that their demand would be examined. 'We will wait for six months. If they again betray us, we will re-launch the protest,' said Hawa Singh Sangwan, president of the Haryana Jat Arakshan Samiti.