Title - Railway mandapam’s tale of apathy

The centrally located madapam is lying unused for years

People residing in and around Ayanavaram have to look elsewhere if they need to organise a function. The spacious Railway Kalyana Mandapam, located on the Konnur High Road, is lying unused for over six years now.Residents say even if they were to conduct a simple function they are depended on private party halls, which charge exorbitant amount.“It was a preferred mandapam for many as it is centrally located, has spacious halls that could accommodate nearly 500 people with adequate parking facility,” said a resident of the railway quarters. “In the

According to K. Ramadoss, president of Ayanavaram Exnora Innovators Club, some renovation work was undertaken in 2008 to replace the broken ACC roof and brick walls but the mandapam was not reopened for the public use.He says even the newly-constructed toilet in the building is in poor shape.“I have complained several times to the Railway’s grievance cell that no steps have been taken to reopen it,” he says.Sources in the Railway say the building had poor stability and was found to be unsafe to conduct functions, so it had to be shut.

“The building needs to be razed to the ground to build a new one,” added the source.