ProUI

UDHAGAMANDALAM, JULY 26:  Nearly 150 villages were cut off from the Ooty—Manjur road as a big eucalyptus tree fell across the ghat road and railway track near Lovedale as incessant rains continued to throw normal life out of gear in the Nilgiris District.  Two trains running between Udhagamandalam and Coonoor were cancelled, official sources said.  A holiday had been declared for schools and educational institutions for two days from today.  The restoration works were on a warfooting.

Chandigarh : Anil Kumar Kathpal today assumed the charge of Ambala Divisional Railway Manager (DRM).He has worked as the chief rolling stock engineer in North East Frontier Railway, Guwahati. He has served as assistant mechanical engineer, senior divisional mechanical engineer in divisions of Lucknow, Izzatnagar and Mysore. —

Chandigarh : Anil Kumar Kathpal today assumed the charge of Ambala Divisional Railway Manager (DRM).He has worked as the chief rolling stock engineer in North East Frontier Railway, Guwahati. He has served as assistant mechanical engineer, senior divisional mechanical engineer in divisions of Lucknow, Izzatnagar and Mysore. —

HOWRAH: The man accused of molesting and robbing a 26-year-old techie in a ladies compartment of the Delhi-Howrah Janata Express last Sunday was arrested from Uttarpara railway station in Hooghly on Friday evening. He was produced in court on Saturday and remanded in police custody for seven days.

However, contrary to the woman's account, the accused — identified as Deb Shankar Sau, 38 — told police that he had boarded the compartment to rob the woman and didn't attempt to molest her. Sau has a criminal background and was out on bail in connection with a dacoity he had carried out last year.

Sau's family, however, claimed that he was falsely implicated in this case. They alleged that Sau was caught in a ladies compartment of a local train at Srirampur on Thursday and asked to pay a fine. As he didn't have the money, his mobile phone was confiscated and he was stamped on his arm. When he returned with the fine to recover his mobile phone at the Seoraphuli GRP on Friday, he was arrested. But the GRP stuck to its stand. They said Sau could be nabbed because of the accurate sketch drawn by the artist and constant vigil by officers. Probe revealed that the accused who owns and operates a mechanized rickshaw van probably saw his sketch being circulated and tried to change his appearance. He cropped his hair, trimmed his moustache and even trimmed his eyebrows. "The victim had stated that the man — clad in a lungi and half-sleeved shirt — had boarded the compartment from Bandel. Sau, however, said that he boarded the train at Srirampur after spotting the woman travelling alone in the compartment. He said he thought that he intended to rob the woman and didn't try to molest or assault her. He tried to snatch her mobile phone. This was when the woman screamed and jumped out of the emergency window. He apparently got nervous thinking that the woman may have died and picked up her mobile phone and jumped off the train between Belur and Liluah," a GRP officer said.

"The GRP wasn't sitting idle. A team comprising Dinabandhu Sasmal, OC, Belur GRP, Ashok Dutta, OC, Howrah GRP, Uttam Ghosh, OC, Sheoraphuli GRP and Amalendu Biswas, OC, Bandel GRP was formed. Court inspector Azizul Haque coordinated the efforts. Debashis Mukherjee, a Howrah-based artist, prepared a sketch of the accused. This sketch was released to the media on Thursday," the officer added.

Meanwhile, Sau reportedly changed his looks after seeing his sketch. On Friday evening, the accused went to Uttarpara station to board a train when he was nabbed him.

Sau has a criminal background. In 2012, he was arrested on charges of committing a dacoity in Singur and was out on bail. He also operated as a snatcher on trains and looted scrap material from factories. Sau was charged under Section 354 (molestation) and Section 392 (robbery). "The accused has already confessed that he had planned to rob the woman," said Milan Kanta Das, SRP, Howrah.

The GRP plans to hold a test identification parade for the victim to identify the accused.

Its unclean premises and the apathetic attitude of railway authorities is robbing Old Delhi Railway Station of its heritage character

If you ask me, I would give two on a ten-point scale to this station considering the unhygienic condition here, said Chirag, who had just arrived by the Jammutavi-Delhi-Jaisalmer Express at the Old Delhi Railway Station. This one-and-a-half-century-old station, a part of the Delhi’s cultural heritage, is fast losing its attraction among travellers due to its deplorable condition.The oldest station in Delhi, it was established in 1864 when trains from Howrah started operating up to Delhi. The station is also known as Delhi Junction. The colonial government constructed the present station building in red stone to give it the effect of the nearby Red Fort. The station was opened to public in 1903.Starting out with two platforms and a handful of passengers, the station now handles lakhs of passengers and nearly 200 trains daily. The station was re-modelled in 1934-35 after the opening of the New Delhi Railway Station in 1926 and the inauguration of New Delhi in 1931. Since 1935, the station building was renovated again only last year.But the scenes at the station, even after renovation, hardly evoke positive feelings. Even before one enters the station, the stench of urine punches ones senses. The boundary wall has become a public lavatory with the authorities turning a blind eye to the situation.Vehicles can be seen entering the no-entry zone. The main entrance gate stands in a mess with sewer water and waste being collected there. Passengers themselves have added to the woes by littering the area — heightening the fear of spread of diseases. Again, the accumulated stagnant water is a perfect breeding ground for malaria and dengue causing mosquitoes.According to rules, one has to buy a platform ticket to enter the station and luggage is allowed inside only after a thorough check by security personnel. Here, however, there are many loopholes through which people can enter the station premises unchecked, thus raising a question on the security system.On the way to platforms, one has to cross the over-bridge which is overcrowded with people sitting and some even sleeping there. The information boards on the over-bridge calls it a offence where one can be fined Rs. 200. But it seems that both the lawmakers and breakers are on equal ground as neither of them bother about this mismanagement.

On the steps descending to the platforms from the over-bridge, people with huge luggage occupy most of the space — leaving little space for others to negotiate the crowd. Same is the case on platforms, too. The situation becomes even more chaotic when a train arrives and passengers are in a hurry to either board it or get down.

The open sewer by the railway tracks in another eyesore; it appears that the sewers have not been cleaned for ages. These, again, serve as public lavatories for ignorant passengers. With this amount of littering and dirt, the number of railway cleaning staff appears insufficient to keep the premises clean.

Even the roof of the platform shade has not been spared. Plastic bottles, chips packets, broken biscuits and beverage cans are found thrown here and there, dirtying it and giving out a foul smell.

The only question that comes in mind after surveying the scenario is, what are the authorities doing?

A British-era building of Pune railway station turned 88 years old on Saturday. One of the oldest structures in the city, the building was inaugurated on July 27, 1925. Railway passenger groups and Central Railway Pune division staff celebrated the occasion by cutting a cake on the railway station premises.Railway Pravasi group president Harsha Shah said, “We are proud of our rich heritage building that welcomes lakhs of passengers to the city.” The building was inaugurated by the then Mumbai governor Sir Leslie Wilson on July 27, 1925. A special train was run from Mumbai to Pune to mark the historic moment.

Its unclean premises and the apathetic attitude of railway authorities is robbing Old Delhi Railway Station of its heritage character

If you ask me, I would give two on a ten-point scale to this station considering the unhygienic condition here, said Chirag, who had just arrived by the Jammutavi-Delhi-Jaisalmer Express at the Old Delhi Railway Station. This one-and-a-half-century-old station, a part of the Delhi’s cultural heritage, is fast losing its attraction among travellers due to its deplorable condition.The oldest station in Delhi, it was established in 1864 when trains from Howrah started operating up to Delhi. The station is also known as Delhi Junction. The colonial government constructed the present station building in red stone to give it the effect of the nearby Red Fort. The station was opened to public in 1903.Starting out with two platforms and a handful of passengers, the station now handles lakhs of passengers and nearly 200 trains daily. The station was re-modelled in 1934-35 after the opening of the New Delhi Railway Station in 1926 and the inauguration of New Delhi in 1931. Since 1935, the station building was renovated again only last year.But the scenes at the station, even after renovation, hardly evoke positive feelings. Even before one enters the station, the stench of urine punches ones senses. The boundary wall has become a public lavatory with the authorities turning a blind eye to the situation.Vehicles can be seen entering the no-entry zone. The main entrance gate stands in a mess with sewer water and waste being collected there. Passengers themselves have added to the woes by littering the area — heightening the fear of spread of diseases. Again, the accumulated stagnant water is a perfect breeding ground for malaria and dengue causing mosquitoes.According to rules, one has to buy a platform ticket to enter the station and luggage is allowed inside only after a thorough check by security personnel. Here, however, there are many loopholes through which people can enter the station premises unchecked, thus raising a question on the security system.On the way to platforms, one has to cross the over-bridge which is overcrowded with people sitting and some even sleeping there. The information boards on the over-bridge calls it a offence where one can be fined Rs. 200. But it seems that both the lawmakers and breakers are on equal ground as neither of them bother about this mismanagement.

On the steps descending to the platforms from the over-bridge, people with huge luggage occupy most of the space — leaving little space for others to negotiate the crowd. Same is the case on platforms, too. The situation becomes even more chaotic when a train arrives and passengers are in a hurry to either board it or get down.

The open sewer by the railway tracks in another eyesore; it appears that the sewers have not been cleaned for ages. These, again, serve as public lavatories for ignorant passengers. With this amount of littering and dirt, the number of railway cleaning staff appears insufficient to keep the premises clean.

Even the roof of the platform shade has not been spared. Plastic bottles, chips packets, broken biscuits and beverage cans are found thrown here and there, dirtying it and giving out a foul smell.

The only question that comes in mind after surveying the scenario is, what are the authorities doing?

Members of District Railway Users Consultative Committee from Coimbatore R. Raveendran and U.K. Sivagnanam have asked the officials at the Salem Railway Division to accelerate the pace of execution of railway works in the district.Mr. Raveendran told The Hindu after the meeting that they had asked the Divisional Railway Manager Sujatha Jayaraj to take up construction of a ticket booking counter and waiting hall at the Coimbatore North Junction and presented the letter from P.R. Natarajan, MP, sanctioning Rs. 35 lakh for the purpose.They sought details about the second subway that was under construction, he said and added that the railway officials said that the work would be completed by September this year.The officials promised installation of escalators at the station by December this year.The officials promised to provide parking facility near the new entrance and spoke about their efforts to float tender for the parking lot at the main entrance.

The railway administration floated new tender after initiating action against the contractor, against whom they had received complaints.

Mr. Raveendran said that the railway officials sought three months to put in place an electronic coach guidance system, necessary to help passengers identify coach position.

They sought the Committee members help to identify sponsors for having battery-operated car at the station to help elderly people move with ease on the platform.

They would now look for sponsors for the two battery-operated cars, the maintenance of which would work out to Rs. 50,000 a year a car.

The Committee members had sought replacement of the two faulty elevators in the station and also two additional ones.

If the railway administration were to concede their demand, it would help differently abled and senior citizens reach the platforms without much of a discomfort.

The railway officials told them that they had once floated tender to carry-out electrification of the track between Coimbatoreand Mettupalayam but there was no taker. They had again floated a tender.

As for the need for a foot-over bridge at the Singanallur Junction, the railway officials had told them that the contractor who was supposed to execute the work had abandoned the project and that they were looking for another contractor to complete the work at the earliest.

Mr. Raveendran said that they had asked for extension to Coimbatore North and Peelamedu of a few trains that terminate at the Coimbatore Junction so as to help people alight at the nearest junction and also decongest the Coimbatore Junction.

A release from the Salem Railway Division said that the railway administration was committed to the safety and security of passengers and cleanliness at stations and in trains. It also accorded priority to maintaining vigil at stations to prevent the movement of unlawful elements at railway stations.

The release added that Committee member from Erode C.S. Gowthaman was elected to represent the Salem Railway Division in the Southern Railway Zonal Railway Users’ Consultative Committee.

Members of the CPI, CPI (M) and YSR Congress joined the residents of Bhanunagar to stage a dharna at the colony on Saturday to protest against the fencing of a part of the residential area by the Railways.According to CPI leader Navaneetham Sambasiva Rao, the residents had been living in the colony since 1981 and even the district administration had promised to build the required infrastructure, but now Railways was pouring water over their dreams.According to the activists of the political parties, about 400 families had been living in about 100 houses on the land in question since last four decades.

HOWRAH: The man accused of molesting and robbing a 26-year-old techie in a ladies compartment of the Delhi-Howrah Janata Express last Sunday was arrested from Uttarpara railway station in Hooghly on Friday evening. He was produced in court on Saturday and remanded in police custody for seven days.

However, contrary to the woman's account, the accused — identified as Deb Shankar Sau, 38 — told police that he had boarded the compartment to rob the woman and didn't attempt to molest her. Sau has a criminal background and was out on bail in connection with a dacoity he had carried out last year.

Sau's family, however, claimed that he was falsely implicated in this case. They alleged that Sau was caught in a ladies compartment of a local train at Srirampur on Thursday and asked to pay a fine. As he didn't have the money, his mobile phone was confiscated and he was stamped on his arm. When he returned with the fine to recover his mobile phone at the Seoraphuli GRP on Friday, he was arrested. But the GRP stuck to its stand. They said Sau could be nabbed because of the accurate sketch drawn by the artist and constant vigil by officers. Probe revealed that the accused who owns and operates a mechanized rickshaw van probably saw his sketch being circulated and tried to change his appearance. He cropped his hair, trimmed his moustache and even trimmed his eyebrows. "The victim had stated that the man — clad in a lungi and half-sleeved shirt — had boarded the compartment from Bandel. Sau, however, said that he boarded the train at Srirampur after spotting the woman travelling alone in the compartment. He said he thought that he intended to rob the woman and didn't try to molest or assault her. He tried to snatch her mobile phone. This was when the woman screamed and jumped out of the emergency window. He apparently got nervous thinking that the woman may have died and picked up her mobile phone and jumped off the train between Belur and Liluah," a GRP officer said.

"The GRP wasn't sitting idle. A team comprising Dinabandhu Sasmal, OC, Belur GRP, Ashok Dutta, OC, Howrah GRP, Uttam Ghosh, OC, Sheoraphuli GRP and Amalendu Biswas, OC, Bandel GRP was formed. Court inspector Azizul Haque coordinated the efforts. Debashis Mukherjee, a Howrah-based artist, prepared a sketch of the accused. This sketch was released to the media on Thursday," the officer added.

Meanwhile, Sau reportedly changed his looks after seeing his sketch. On Friday evening, the accused went to Uttarpara station to board a train when he was nabbed him.

Sau has a criminal background. In 2012, he was arrested on charges of committing a dacoity in Singur and was out on bail. He also operated as a snatcher on trains and looted scrap material from factories. Sau was charged under Section 354 (molestation) and Section 392 (robbery). "The accused has already confessed that he had planned to rob the woman," said Milan Kanta Das, SRP, Howrah.

The GRP plans to hold a test identification parade for the victim to identify the accused.