Title - ‘Take a look at our rly station, Mr minister’

CHANDIGARH: They say charity begins at home. As Union railway minister Pawan Kumar Bansal comes home on Saturday, city residents are expecting a Diwali bonanza from him. TOI draws up the wish list of railway passengers from the city.

Inadequate parking Parking has been an acute trouble for passengers and their relatives at Chandigarh railway station. During the arrival and departure of prominent trains from the station, vehicles are parked in haphazard manner as the parking space is too narrow.

Congested road The road that connects the entry and exit points of the station to the main road is too congested. Rickshaw pullers, auto-rickshaws and passengers' relatives park their cars on the road, leading to traffic chaos.

No pre-paid taxi booth The railway station does not even have a pre-paid taxi booth, which was functional here around three years ago before being closed due to a rift between Chandigarh traffic police and railway authorities. After an arduous journey, the passengers have to put up with rude auto drivers and pay exorbitant fares.

Poor sanitation It is being said the railway station will be upgraded to world class standards, but the scenario o f sanitation facilities at the station tell a different tale. While heaps of soil and garbage give it an ugly look, the broken roads around the station present a disrespectful picture to any visitor to the city.

Uncomfortable waiting halls The waiting halls are too small with few chairs for passengers. The other basic facilities on the platform are also not up to the mark. Many of the chairs on platforms are broken.