Venting discontentment over neglect of the Baleswar railway station due to an apathetic attitude of the authorities, the Civil Society, Baleswar, staged a dharna on Saturday demanding enhancement of the railway station’s infrastructure.
The body threatened to embark on an intensified agitation if its demands are not fulfilled within 45 days. They said they would hold similar agitations at all the railway stations in Baleswar district.
The demands mainly included shifting of the goods shed from the station premises elsewhere, an increase in the number of platforms from the existing four to six and a ticket booking counter in the west-end.
“If the goods shed is shifted from the present location, space will be available for construction of a platform, in fact a space sufficient to accommodate two passenger trains in platforms. There should be a booking counter in the Westside as the important establishments including the Government medical college and hospital, the AIIMS satellite centre and all major industries are located in the Remuna area (Westside) of the railway station. More so, a new booking counter will lessen the distance to the bus-stand,” said Civil Society Baleswar secretary Manoj Nayak..
He pointed out that there is hardly a 50-meter distance between the railway station and the bus-stand from the west-end. The passengers of either end can have an easy accessibility for their conveyance. “We have been demanding this for quite a long time,” he said.
After the dharna, a memorandum was submitted to the railway authorities urging them to meet the “genuine demand” within 45 days, Nayak said, adding that the passengers from Mayurbhanj and north Baleswar would have easy access from that ends if the demand is fulfilled.
Baleswar MP Rabindra Kumar Jena said, “On improvement of rail infrastructure, I have raised various issues in Parliament including expansion of the Baleswaar station, new rail over-bridges and new long-distance trains including a direct express train to Mumbai and halts of some superfast trains. While some of the demands have been met, others are under consideration. However, two more platforms are genuinely required for this growing industrial city and also home of major Defence establishments.”
Baleswar Railway Station Manager Bhagabata Das said, “The demand of the civil society has been communicated to the concerned Senior Divisional Commercial Manager. Another platform can be built once the goods shed is shifted. A proposal in this respect is under consideration. It may be shifted to Bampada or Somnathpur area.”