BENGALURU: The Railway Board has asked the South Western Railway Zone to improve cleanliness at eight of its stations. A directive in this connection was issued to all the three Divisions in the Zone recently by Railway Board Chairman Ashwani Lohani. Speaking to Express, General Manager, SWR, A K Gupta said four stations in Bengaluru Division have been included in the letter sent by the Railway Board. They are Krantivira Sangolli Rayanna, Yeshwantpur, Krishnarajapuram and Bangarpet. “Belagavi and Hospet railway stations in Hubballi Division and Davangere and Shivamogga in Mysuru Division also figure in the list,” the General Manager said.
Asked if any additional staff or funds had been allocated for it, he said, “We will manage with the resources at our disposal.” Mysuru Divisional Railway Manager Atul Gupta said, “Mysuru railway station figures among the top ranked stations in the country on the cleanliness front. So, we will focus on Davangere and Shivamogga and upgrade their present standards.” Asked on the specific work that will be taken up, the DRM said certain stretches had been identified at the end of platforms that can be improved. DRM of Hubballi A K Jain said that the Hospet railway station’s main building would be rebuilt.“How much ever one cleans the old structure, it does not feel appealing as the building itself is very old.
We are also going in for additional Pay and Use toilets in the circulating area here in order to improve hygiene aspects in the station,” he said. Blocked drains were identified and work was on to unclog them, Jain said. Regarding Belagavi station, the DRM said,“We are holding talks with the local municipality for better disposal of garbage.” The parking system and the circulating area were being overhauled and it would contribute to a much better appearance, he added. Top officials in Bengaluru Railway Division could not be reached for their response.