Over 20 residents of the railway colony at Diamond Crossing in Dhanbad, mostly women, staged a day-long sit-in against a railway eviction drive on Tuesday. They also demanded action against supporters of MP P.N. Singh for manhandling them outside his residence on January 9 when they had protested there.

They also submitted a eight-point charter of demand to Chief Minister Hemant Soren and Deputy Commissioner Uma Shankar Singh accusing the police of lodging cases against them instead of the goons.

The protesters also demanded a deferral of the eviction drive by six months in view of the Covid-induced economic crisis.

A protester named Nitu Devi said, “Majority of the hundred families living here make money by selling vegetables and fruits or working as daily wagers, and have been badly hit due to the lockdown. Making them houseless will only add to our difficulties.”

She also said that the children, who go to Anganwadis and PDS outlets at the Railway quarters, will also not be able to get food, which is provided by these centres.

“The railway administration has sealed 80 out of 100 quarters in the colony while the water and power supply of over 10 remaining quarters have been snapped. We are living here deprived of basic facilities and constant fear of eviction,” another protester Laboni Roy said.

Regarding the manhandling episode outside Singh’s residence, she said, “We went to the house of Dhanbad MP, PN Singh at Dhansar seeking his intervention as a people’s representative but his supporters misbehaved with us in police presence.”

“Police, instead of registering a complaint against the MP’s supporters, lodged FIRs against us,” Roy added.