BENGALURU: Top officials of the South Western Railway Zone (SWR) were pulled up by a parliamentary delegation for the slow completion of various projects in the Zone.
The five-member Railway Convention Committee delegation comprised Nana Falgunrao Patole (Bhandra Gondiya), K Ashok Kumar (Krishnagiri), Rahul Ramesh Shewale (Mumbai South), Bhartruhari Mahtab (Cuttack) and Kamalbhan Singh Marabi (Chhattisgarh), informed a top railway official from New Delhi. Mahtab chaired the delegation. SWR officials refused to divulge details stating it was “a confidential and closed door meeting.”
Sharing some details of what transpired during the team’s visit last week, Ashok Kumar said, “The chairman felt that many railway projects in SWR were getting delayed for long and sought the reasons for it. He instructed officials to implement them faster.” They were also told to have bio-toilets in all the trains within three years (by 2020).
Insisting that passenger amenities across the Zone be improved, the team insisted adequate care be taken to ensure bed sheets, blankets and pillow covers are cleaned well in Ist and IInd AC compartments, he said. “Officials were told to ensure two dustbins in these compartments,” Kumar said.
The MP sought to know why work was yet to begin on an underpass between Hosur and Thally Road. “Work was sanctioned and funds also allocated but there is no sign of any movement on this,” he said.
“Public are forced to wait nearly half-an-hour daily at a level crossing gate between the two stations,” he said.
When asked about it, a top railway official said that the land had to be handed over to it by the Public Works Department in Tamil Nadu. It is because of the delay on their part that the work could not be undertaken. Kumar also called for completion of numerous other projects in his constituency, a portion of which falls under the Bengaluru Railway Division.
“Electrification between Anekal Road and Omalur has been allocated 590 crores, but is not done yet,” he pointed out.
He also said a passenger had to buy a ticket at one end of Royakottai and walk along a foot over bridge to board the train at another end. The platform at Kelamangalam station was very low, causing inconvenience to the passengers.