Title - Hope floats for cleaner Surat railway station

SURAT: On black spot on the otherwise developing Surat city is its underdeveloped and filthy railway station, which is leaving a bitter impression among travelers.However, the shabby station may soon be a thing of the past. Surat Municipal Corporation (SMC) has proposed to the railways that it is willing to take up the clean-up job of the station.The proposal was put forward in a meeting between western railway general manager, Mahesh Kumar, mayor Raju Desai and standing committee chairman Bhimji Patel.The railways has orally accepted the proposal."If SMC sends a letter to this regard, the divisional railway manager will give them a written acceptance," said Kumar.SMC has asked the railways to pay the civic body the amount they are spending for the cleaning at present. SMC has agreed to bear any additional expenditure and promised to make the station free of filth."The filthy railway station and the slums nearby are a big hindrance to beautiful and clean Surat. We know despite awarding the tenders for cleaning and brushing, railways is not doing it's job and that is why we have shown willingness," said Patel. Several attempts by various citizen groups, Facebook campaigns and even political representations to improve the condition of the city railway station till now has fallen on deaf ears. Even after then railways minister Mamata Banerjee announced Surat to be developed as one of the 100 world class railway stations, very little has taken place.