ProUI

GURGAON: There is absolute lack of coordination between various departments of Haryana government even if it concerns the high profile metro rail projects. The delay in implementing projects is apparent as officials of the Haryana Mass Rapid Transportation Ltd, a company approved by the state government almost one and a half year back to implement metro rail projects directly, are yet to be appointed.The reason: The Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC), which has been assigned the job of appointing the director and officials, was, it seems, unaware of any such decision till recently.It was only in July, after an RTI was filed to know the status that the HSIIDC wrote to Haryana Urban Development Authority (HUDA) to provide a copy of the cabinet memorandum where a decision was taken in this regard.On June 20, 2013, city-based RTI activist Aseem Takyar filed an RTI with HSIIDC seeking to know the status of appointment of the full time directors/officers of Haryana Mass Rapid Transportation Ltd.

He also mentioned a letter written by chief administrator, HUDA, to the managing director of the HSIIDC dated February 8, 2013. Takyar has received a copy of this letter in one of those RTIs he filed to know about the metro rail projects. Ironically, HSIIDC never received this HUDA letter.

However, Takyar's RTI query went unheard as no reply was given by the HSIIDC. Subsequently, Takyar approached the first appellate authority on August 5. The first appellate authority provided information that the HSIIDC has written to HUDA seeking a copy of the letter dated February 8, 2013, along with relevant annexure for taking further necessary action in the matter. It was further mentioned that the HSIIDC wrote to HUDA on July 16, 2013 in the matter, which was almost a month after Takyar had sought the information.

In the February letter, HUDA had stated that the HSIIDC was required to take action regarding appointment of full time directors/ officers of the company to implement the metro rail projects directly. It also mentioned that Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation Ltd was incorporated on March 24, 2012 after the approval of the state cabinet.

The approval was granted in the cabinet meeting held on December 14, 2011. The organization structure of the company was also approved by the cabinet, but full time directors/officers of the company have not been appointed so far.

The Ministry of urban development, in its meeting held on December 7, 2012, had desired that the Haryana government set up a metro rail company with full-time officers to implement the metro rail projects directly.

After an RTI was filed to know the status of the Haryana Mass Rapid Transportation Ltd, the HSIIDC wrote to HUDA seeking a copy of the memorandum approved by cabinet

The Ministry of urban development, in its meeting held on December 7, 2012, had desired that the state set up a metro rail company with full-time officers to implement the metro rail projects in state.

reception committee: The train’s district campaign at Kozhikode railway station, Platform 2 of the railway station, 9.30 a.m.

Train No.66609\66608 Erode Junction-Palakkad Town-Erode Junction MEMU service will be terminated at Palakkad Junction station from August 27 to 31, 2013, due to the extension of platfrom No.3. The extension was being done to accommodate 26 coaches in Palakkad Town Station, a release issued by the Palakkad Railway Division here on Monday said. — Staff Reporter

The Southern Railway (SR) has planned to set up medical centres at five railway stations in Madurai Railway Division to provide first aid to passengers.The centres will come up at Madurai, Tirunelveli, Virudhunagar, Thoothukudi and Tenkasi railway stations, according to Chief Medical Director (SR) S.Ram Prakash.After inaugurating the new outpatients block of the Railway Hospital here on Monday, he said the railway would provide the required space at the railway stations free of cost to private hospitals.The respective hospital had to depute a medical officer and two paramedical staff to attend the passengers requiring medical care round the clock. “The hospitals will not charge the passengers for the services,” Mr.Prakash noted.

The hospitals would have to park an ambulance on the railway premises to rush the passengers to the hospital of their choice if they needed further medical care. Such medical centres had been opened at Chennai Central railway station and Salem railway station, he pointed out. The Chief Medical Director said the new outpatient block had been planned on an outlay of Rs.2.5 crore. While the ground floor of the building was ready, work was yet to be completed on the first floor. The new outpatient block would take the crowd off the main building of the hospital.

On the proposal of the Indian Railway to establish a medical college on the Perambur Railway Hospital premises, he said the issue was still at the consultation stage.

Divisional Railway Manager A.K.Rastogi, Additional DRM V.Ajith Kumar, Railway Hospital Chief Medical Superintendent G.Sahoo were also present on the occasion.

Temporary augmentation of trains.

In the wake of the recent incident of 28 devotees being run over by a train in Khagaria district, the East Central Railway (ECR) has decided to launch an awareness drive to dissuade people from walking on the tracks.   The drive will be carried out in all the five ECR divisions, Atul Pathak, IG-cum Chief Safety Commissioner of Railway Protection Force (RPF) told reporters.    ECR comprises Danapur, Samastipur (under which Dhamara ghat station falls), Mughalsarai, Dhanbad and Sonepur divisions.    ECR Chief Public Relations Officer Amitabh Prabhakar said the drive would be speeded up to dissuade people from hopping from one platform to another by using the tracks or walking on the tracks.    Pathak said besides prosecution, counselling of the people violating the rules would be done as part of the drive.    28 'kawarias' (devotees of Lord Shiva) were mowed down by Saharsa-Patna Rajya Rani express on Dhamara Ghat station while they were walking on the tracks to visit Katyani temple on the last Monday of the month of 'Shrawan'.    Despite frequent drives, trespassing, which is an act of offence under section 147 of The Railways Act has been rampant in the zone accounting for almost 45 per cent people undertaking a Railway journey, Pathak said.    The Act has a provision to impose a penalty of upto Rs 500 or seven days imprisonment for trespassing, the RPF IG said.

A total of 1,415 persons were sent to jail on the charge of trespassing in areas falling under the ECR in 2011, Pathak said.    

The figure increased to 1,808 in 2012 and in the first seven months of 2013, 702 persons have so far been sent to jail, he said.    

ECR with its headquarters at Hajipur realised over Rs 1.34 crore as penalty from people walking on the tracks in between 2011 and July 2013, the RPF IG added.    

Pathak said that RPF personnel have been told in all the divisions to be vigilant against trespassers to avoid Dhamara Ghat-type incident.    

On the instructions of Minister of State for Railway Adhir Ranjan Chaudhury, who had visited the mishap site, public address system has been installed at Dhamara Ghat station to warn passengers against trespassing and for conveying other necessary information, Prabhakar said.   

Crossing over from one platform to another through the tracks instead of using the over bridge is a common sight in Patna junction and other Railway stations in Bihar resulting in accidents.

GURGAON: It was free for all in Jamalpur village near Pataudi on Sunday, as thousands of villagers went on a rampage disrupting road and rail traffic, in addition to destroying public property and thrashing policemen on duty. The violence broke out after a resident was allegedly hacked by cattle smugglers. Following the incident, thousands of residents from more than 12 villages in the area blocked the Gurgaon-Pataudi Road and the Delhi-Jaipur rail route, protesting against the murder of the local youth.Vikrant Yadav, 24, a resident of Khwaspur village, and a member of the local 'Gaurakshak Mandli', learnt about the alleged cow smugglers which were allegedly transporting cows for slaughter in a Tata 407. Yadav informed a few others about the vehicle and they started chasing it from Babda village. Yadav was on a two-wheeler and the others were in a tempo.Yadav was driving fast and soon he caught up with the vehicle carrying the cows while the others were far behind. According to local residents, he was driving parallel to the Tata 407 near Janaula vilage. At this, the driver of the Tata 407 allegedly took out a sharp weapon and attacked Yadav on his throat and then his head.

According to Yadav's family even the local police was part of the chase but they left after seeing the body.

As the news of the death spread, residents from nearby villages gathered at Jamalpur and started an agitation. They initially blocked the road, and later went to the railway tracks and disrupted it. They demanded the termination of all police officials on duty, in addition to the status of martyr for Vikrant.

Though Pataudi SDM Manoj Khatri reached the spot, the villagers refused to budge. Seeing no positive response, they went on a rampage. A group went to Tajnagar railway station and blocked the Delhi-Jaipur railway line. As a result, the Bhuj-Bareily Express was delayed.

The disruption of the railway line also affected more than 20 trains meant to run on Delhi-Jaipur line. The protestors started torching vehicles and even trains, when police started a lathi charge. Police were also forced to open fire in an attempt to disperse the villagers. Over half a dozen policemen were injured. The condition of two of them was stated to be critical. The train traffic could be restored only after 5pm.

"The situation is tense but under control. We are trying to restore rail as well as road traffic," said deputy commissioner of police (south) Rahul Sharma.

"The police not only kept their eyes shut on cattle smuggling but also on my brother's death. Had they stopped the vehicle at the naka, my brother would have been alive. They did not even make an effort to chase the vehicle even after seeing my brother's dead body," said the victim's cousin Harish Yadav.

लखनऊ। जन्माष्टमी पर पूर्वोत्तर रेलवे का इज्जतनगर मंडल कासगंज-मथुरा के बीच एक जोड़ी विशेष ट्रेन का संचालन 27 से 29 अगस्त तक करेगा। यह विशेष सवारी गाड़ी 05313 कासगंज जंक्शन से रात दस बजे रवाना होगी, जो महरा रात 10:17 बजे, रतिका नगला 10:57 बजे, हाथरस 11:09 बजे, हाथरस सिटी 11:23 बजे, सोनई 11:53 बजे, मथुरा छावनी रात 12:26 बजे और मथुरा जंक्शन रात 12:45 बजे पहुंचेगी। वापसी में यह ट्रेन-05314 मथुरा जंक्शन से अपराह्न 1:55 बजे रवाना होकर मुरसान 2:40 बजे, हाथरस सिटी 2:55 बजे, अगसौली 3:42 बजे और मरहरा से दोपहर 3:51 बजे छूटकर कासगंज जंक्शन शाम 4:10 बजे पहुंचेगी। गाड़ी का संचालन मथुरा जंक्शन से 28 से 30 अगस्त तक किया जाएगा

JAIPUR: Four coaches of a passenger train derailed near Ringus in Rajasthan's Sikar district on Monday, disrupting rail movement on the Churu-Jaipur route. However, no passenger was injured in the incident as the speed of the train was slow, railway officials said. The train, Churu-Jaipur Holiday Special, derailed near Ringus yard. The reason for the derailment is yet to be ascertained. A relief train has been rushed to the spot and work to restore the track has started. Some of the trains have been partially cancelled due to the derailment.

Southern Railway will run three more special trains during the Onam festival.

Train No.06346 Ernakulam Junction - Chennai Central Superfast Special will leave Ernakulam Junction at 7 p.m. on September 5 and 12 and arrive Chennai Central at 7.45 a.m. the next day. Train No.06345 Chennai Central – Ernakulam Junction Superfast Special will leave Chennai Central at 9 p.m. on September 6 and 13 and arrive Ernakulam Junction at 8.30 a.m. the next day. Train No.06746 Tirunelveli – Chennai Central special will leave Tirunelveli at 6 p.m. on September 12 and arrive Chennai Central at 8.30 a.m. the next day. Train No.06745 Chennai Central – Tirunelveli special (via Coimbatore, Palakkad, Thiruvananthapuram, Nagercoil) will leave Chennai Central at 3.15 p.m. on September 13 and arrive Tirunelveli at 11 a.m. the next day.Advance reservation for the above trains will commence on August 28. - Special Correspondent

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