ROURKELA: With the start of FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup-2023, the Chakradharpur Division of South Eastern Railway (SER) seems to have woken up from its slumber to give a much-needed makeover to Rourkela junction railway station.
A report on neglect of the station ahead of the event was published in The New Indian Express on January 2. The work began in full swing over a week ago to give a makeover to the station. Divisional railway manager Arun J Rathod and other senior SER officials had visited the station to review the progress of the work recently.
Sources said the main entrance on northern side of the station has been painted on hockey theme. Similarly, the parking area has been improved. A giant LED screen has also been installed for live telecast of matches. Efforts are underway to organise an exhibition on hockey at the parcel office and the space near it too has been beautified.
The eastern staircase of platform no 1 has been painted with hockey theme while the rest of the staircases are being painted with social messages. The newly-constructed second entrance on the northern end too has been given a makeover and beautified with a monument of an abandoned steam engine procured from Dalmia Bharat Cement Ltd. Moreover, a garden with foundation too has been set up while works are underway for necessary beautification and illumination of the surrounding areas.
Sources said apart from the short-term projects, ongoing long-term projects have been expedited. Before the inaugural match of the World Cup in Rourkela on January 13 evening, SER hopes to complete the remaining portion of the beautification and station’s facelift by Thursday.
Students fly to steel city on exposure trip
Rourkela: As many as 133 ST & SC students from Tapoban High School at Bhubaneswar were brought to Rourkela city by air on an exposure tour ahead of FIH Men’s Hockey World Cup. Sundargarh district welfare officer Pabitra Mohan Pradhan said the students from different districts of Odisha were given the dream experience of travelling by air. After their arrival at Jharsuguda airport on Tuesday they were brought to Rourkela in three buses. The children were taken on a tour of Birsa Munda Hockey Stadium where they watched many players of different countries. They were then taken on a tour of the city which has undergone a transformation. They returned to Bhubaneswar in three buses on Wednesday, the DWO said.