Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI: The Assam Rail Passengers' Association (ARPA) sent a letter to the Principal Chief Commercial Manager of the NF Railway and sought a revision of the selection of stations under the ABSS (Amrit Bharat Station Scheme) as well as the work programme.
According to ARPA general secretary Dipankar Sharma, they made it clear before the Principal Chief Commercial Manager of the NF Railway through the letter that the review has become necessary in the selection of stations in the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme.
"We feel the criterion adopted is not justifiable. The Assam Rail Passengers' Association would hereby like to put forward some suggestions for the justifiable and equitable distribution of the benefits of the ABSS scheme to all rail users," Sharma said.
Sharma said, "In BG III, a station like Goalpara, which is the district headquarters of the Goalpara district, is left out of this ambitious scheme. It is very surprising that the Dibrugarh Town (DBRT) station, nearest to the commercial, medical, and educational hubs of Dibrugarh city, is not included in the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme. The bare minimum work for electrification up to Dibrugarh Town station has been done and left out for the last three months or so. Dibrugarh Town (DBRT) station seems to have fallen prey to the evil designs of the land mafia. The Dibrugarh Town (DBRT) station must be developed to utilise the huge commercial potential it offers to the Indian Railways and also to common rail users. Moreover, the flyover on the eastern side of the station is nearing completion, and the station must be reopened for train operations in the right earnest."
Sharma further said, "In Rangapara North (RAPN), the existing FOB is satisfactorily serving the present necessity. Then why another 12-metre-wide FOB is again being planned at Rangapara North (RAPN) at the cost of public money is not understood. Here, a 6-metre-wide FOB with ramp facilities is quite sufficient to handle the present and future requirements. Similarly, in RangiyaJn (RNY), 3 FOBs are already there, meeting the requirement satisfactorily. Another 12-metre-wide FOB, if constructed, is bound to be proved to be a misuse of funds by the Railway Department."
He said, "Instead, ramp facilities, which have to be compulsorily provided as per Railway Board guidelines, are the need of the hour to provide better amenities to senior citizens, large luggage-carrying passengers, persons with disabilities, as well as ladies with babies and kids. The surplus amount may be utilised for providing other amenities like quality toilets, drinking water, better waiting rooms, coach indication boards, train information boards, pathways on both sides of the station, etc.
It is pertinent to mention here that a lift, or, for that matter, an escalator, cannot be an alternative to ramp facilities. Furthermore, FOBs are being constructed at various stations. But the main concern is that the FOBs are not designed to facilitate the free movement of the common people to cross the station from one side to the other for their daily needs."
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