People face ordeal amid traffic curbs; train passengers hit

Patna: Patna witnessed massive traffic chaos and severe inconvenience for commuters and railway passengers on Thursday as extensive restrictions were imposed for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit and the swearing-in ceremony of the Samrat Choudhary cabinet at Gandhi Maidan. With major roads barricaded and traffic diverted across the city, office-goers, students, air travellers and railway passengers struggled for hours amid gridlock and confusion.

The Prime Minister attended the cabinet expansion ceremony and held a roadshow from Patna airport to Gandhi Maidan. Traffic restrictions remained in force from 8 am to 3 pm, while access around Patna Junction continued to remain affected till around 10 pm. Gandhi Maidan and adjoining areas were completely sealed, while movement was restricted in the Airport area, Bailey Road, Patel Golambar, Gardanibagh and several other localities. Long traffic snarls, stretching nearly 1.5km on the Gaya route and other roads, were reported.

Commuters criticised the timing of the event. “Govt is working for its own convenience. They don’t care about people. 9 to 10 am is office time. This is very important. The govt should have held this programme on Sunday,” Rajesh Sinha, who works in a private company, said. Another commuter, Ravish Kumar, said the govt had “increased our problems”.

At Patna Junction, the closure of pick-and-drop facilities on both the Mahavir Mandir and Karbigahiya sides caused chaos among passengers. Many alleged there had been no prior public advisory. Elderly passengers, women and those carrying luggage faced the maximum hardship.

Dipti Sinha, travelling by the Patna-Ranchi Vande Bharat Express with a minor child, alleged there was complete chaos near the Karbigahiya entry point and no visible deployment of police or Railway Protection Force personnel. “I eventually dragged my luggage to platform number 8,” she said. Passengers also complained about a non-functional escalator at platform number 10.

Prominent Patna doctor Diwakar Tejaswi missed his 12:40 pm Kolkata flight despite leaving home nearly four hours earlier. “Public convenience and life-related sensitivities should get priority,” he said.
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