ProUI

Amid public anger over the delay in evacuating the stranded people from calamity-hit areas of Uttarkhand, many states had arranged for charted flights from Dehradun on Saturday to airlift residents back to their home.However, the Karnataka government arranged for just a train journey from Delhi to Bangalore, providing second-class sleeper tickets. As most people who have rescued were strained and urgently required rest and treatment for their ailments, many states have decided to arrange for their journey home by air.As a result, though 110 pilgrims from Karnataka have reached Delhi, 68 left for Bangalore by train on Saturday; the remaining will leave on Sunday.Around 1,500 people from Karnataka are believed to be still stranded in different parts of Uttarakhand and needed urgent help.On the other hand, after hearing of the pilgrims’ plight, the Gujarat government swung into action, arranging a Boeng 737-700 from Dehradun and flew 134 passengers to Ahmedabad free of cost. This was the first chartered aircraft to operate from Dehradun carrying stranded tourists and pilgrims, aviation sources said here. Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi, who visited the state, also instructed the officials of his state to arrange for flights to Ahmedabad for people form his state in Dehradun.While the Punjab government also arranged for chopper services to airlift pilgrims from Dehradun to Chandigarh, the government of Tamil Nadu is providing air tickets to all its pilgrims to return home via Chennai. Bihar, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan are also planning similar arrangements to evacuate their people from their states expeditiously.  Meanwhile, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda met his Uttarakhand counterpart Vijay Bahuguna in Dehradun on Saturday and assured all help for relief and rescue operations. Hooda left his official helicopter at the disposal of the Uttarakhand government for relief operations.Interestingly, most states that have arranged for the stranded people to be sent home via flight have done so after getting complaints from the pilgrims’ kin that their return was being delayed due to poor coordination among rescue teams.Despite the standard operating procedure in place to evacuate and send back stranded people to their homes, many rescued persons complained of poor coordination among and ill-preparedness of different agencies.

MUMBAI:The Central railway commuters can now heave a sigh from the train delays to atleast some extend. The Kurla Railway Protection Force (RPF) have arrested five people for allegedly stealing Impedence Bond Copper and Auxiliary foils that lead to signal failures and later delays in local trains.

The Railway Protection Force (RPF) had received several complaints about Copper and Auxillary Foils missing from signal boxes that led to signal failures and later local and mail trains delaying.

"Initially it was suspected that trains only got delayed due to rains but we later also learnt that signal failures were happening on the Central and Harbour line due to Copper and Auxillary Foils missing from signal boxes these wires are popular among thieves as they get them good money when sold to scrap merchants as heavy amount of copper and aluminum is in it," said a RPF officials.

In May and June the gang was very active and has delayed local trains several times. Especially between the Ghatkopar and Vikhroli stations their were several incidents of signal failures when the railways investigated with the help of their engineers they found the wires missing and then lodged a complaint with the RPF who is responsible for the property of railways.

While investigation the case the railway protection force officals arrested Suddam Hashmi, Tabrez Idrissi, Abdul Khan, scrap merchant Dhadamchan Jain, Ali Khan and Mohammad Shaikh all from Govandi area.

AS the wires gives good returns to the thieves as well as the scrap merchants they buy it. All the accused have been booked under the Indian railway act 1989.

One special train with 18 coaches carrying pilgrims from Uttarakhand left Delhi (Hazrat Nizamuddin) for Secunderabad on Friday.As a majority of the passengers travelling by this special train are bound towards Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam, it has been decided to divert the train from Kazipet and run it till Visakhapatnam instead of Secunderabad.For those bound for Ongole, Kavali and Nellore, two second class coaches have been kept ready at Vijayawada. For those bound for Secunderabad/Hyderabad, two second class extra coaches will transport them from Kazipet to Secunderabad.Senior railway officers from Secunderabad have been deputed to camp at Kazipet to monitor the transshipment of passengers. Requisite additional staff and porters have also been pressed into service.

EXTRA COACHES: With a view to clearing the stranded Chardham pilgrims, extra coaches are attached to the following three trains: One general second class coach by 12628 New Delhi-Bangalore Karnataka Express departing New Delhi on Saturday; two general second class coaches by 12722 Hazrat Nizamuddin-Hyderabad Dakshin Express departing Hazrat Nizamuddin on Saturday; and one general second class coach by 12708 Hazrat Nizamuddin-Tirupati AP Sampark Kranti Express departing Hazrat Nizamuddin on Sunday.

SURPRISE CHECK: Officials of the Secunderabad division of SCR conducted a special surprise check at Chintalapalli station in the Kazipet-Mahbubabad section. Many express and passenger trains were stopped at this station specially for ticket checking purpose and all the coaches of the trains were checked at a time without leaving any scope for the errant to escape.

The Manamadurai-Chennai Egmore bi-weekly Silambu Express was flagged off here on Saturday. The Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, the Minister of State for Commerce and Industries E.M. Sudarsana Nachiappan and Chairman Manamadurai Town Panchayat I. Joseph Rajan flagged off the train.

The train no 16181, Chennai Egmore Manamadurai bi-weekly Silambu Express will run on Wednesdays and Saturdays. The train no 16182 Manamadurai-Chennai Egmore bi-weekly Silambu Express will run on Fridays and Mondays.

The trains will stop at Tambaram, Chengalpattu, Melmaruvathoor, Villupuram, Vridachalam, Tiruchi, Pudukottai, Chettinad, Karaikudi, Devakottai Road and Sivaganga. The train no 16182 will stop at Mambalam also.

One special train with 18 coaches carrying pilgrims from Uttarakhand left Delhi (Hazrat Nizamuddin) for Secunderabad on Friday.As a majority of the passengers travelling by this special train are bound towards Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam, it has been decided to divert the train from Kazipet and run it till Visakhapatnam instead of Secunderabad.For those bound for Ongole, Kavali and Nellore, two second class coaches have been kept ready at Vijayawada. For those bound for Secunderabad/Hyderabad, two second class extra coaches will transport them from Kazipet to Secunderabad.Senior railway officers from Secunderabad have been deputed to camp at Kazipet to monitor the transshipment of passengers. Requisite additional staff and porters have also been pressed into service.

EXTRA COACHES: With a view to clearing the stranded Chardham pilgrims, extra coaches are attached to the following three trains: One general second class coach by 12628 New Delhi-Bangalore Karnataka Express departing New Delhi on Saturday; two general second class coaches by 12722 Hazrat Nizamuddin-Hyderabad Dakshin Express departing Hazrat Nizamuddin on Saturday; and one general second class coach by 12708 Hazrat Nizamuddin-Tirupati AP Sampark Kranti Express departing Hazrat Nizamuddin on Sunday.

SURPRISE CHECK: Officials of the Secunderabad division of SCR conducted a special surprise check at Chintalapalli station in the Kazipet-Mahbubabad section. Many express and passenger trains were stopped at this station specially for ticket checking purpose and all the coaches of the trains were checked at a time without leaving any scope for the errant to escape.

Hyderabad, June 22 (INN): One special train with 18 coaches left Delhi (Hazrat Nizamuddin) to Secunderabad on Friday to meet the travel requirements of stranded Chardham pilgrims. According to the SCR, it was observed that majority of the passengers travelling by this special train are bound towards Vijayawada and Visakhapatnam. It was therefore decided to divert this special train from Kazipet and extend the same to Visakhapatnam instead of Secunderabad so as to provide direct and convenient travel to the majority passengers. To meet the needs of passengers travelling by this special train and bound towards Ongole, Kavali and Nellore etc., two extra second class coaches are arranged at Vijayawada. For the convenience of passengers travelling by this special train towards Secunderabad / Hyderabad, two second class extra coaches are arranged to transport them from Kazipet to Secunderabad. Senior Officers from Secunderabad have been deputed to camp at Kazipet to monitor the transshipment of passengers. Requisite additional staff luggage porters have also been pressed into service to take care of the needs of the passengers for their smooth onward travel to Twin Cities, the SCR said.

The Royapuram Railway Station, once "Madras Central", is today a shadow of its glorious past. With the Southern Railways planning to raze this heritage site to make way for developmental projects on the 72-acre station premises, we take a look at how it has survived over the past 157 years. Compiled by: Susanna Myrtle Lazarus

Wants State to make its stand clear on Havelock Bridge

The all-party meeting convened under the chairmanship of senior Telugu Desam Party leader Ganni Krishna has set a deadline as July 1 to the State government to declare its stand on proposed auction of historic Havelock Bridge across river Godavari.It expressed serious concern and anguish over the decision and warned serious consequences if the Railway Board authorities go unilaterally on their own.The meeting resolved to meet visiting Chief Minister N. Kiran Kumar Reddy on Sunday and represent the matter through MLA Rowthu Suryaprakasha Rao with a delegation consisting representatives of all parties and organisations.Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdary, former minister and general secretary of TDP who addressed the all-party meeting here on Saturday said that every one above the party lines should join together and protest the proposed auction and at the same time demand for handing over the bridge to the State Tourism Department to develop as a tourist attraction under Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) method.BJP national executive council member Somu Veerraju said that Railway Board is body which do not respond to the public concerns immediately and its’ dictatorial tendencies should be protested at all levels by involving local MPs and more than 12 Union Ministers from the State to save Havelock Bridge.CPI district secretary Meesala Satyanaryana said that the State government should make its stand clear that it is going to adopt to protect the historic monument. CPI (M) leader Arun called upon the parties to fight unitedly to save the bridge.Nandepu Srinivas, President, Chamber of Commerce said that as Zonal Railway Consumers Committee member, he had written to senior Railway officials and they said that ball is in State government’s court.He announced that Chamber is ready to give its support for any agitation.Ashok Kumar Jain, Wholesale Merchants Association and former chairman of Chamber announced that if the government is not going to meet the deadline Rajahmundry should observe one-day bandh for which Chamber, merchants would give full support.Jakkampudi Viajyalakshmi, YSR Congress Central Committee member said that the people who are in power should guide the rest of the parties in fighting the cause and combined effort will give results. Loksatta district president V.V. Ramarao and City TDP president Vasireddy Rambabu spoke.The president of Andhra Kesari Yuvajana Samiti said that they would take up cultural mass movement and also week-long pictorial competitions on Havelcok Bridge from Sunday. T.K. Visweswara Reddy, Sappa Durgaprasad, B.V. Naidu and others spoke.

With a view to clear stranded Chardham pilgrims in New Delhi, the South Central Railway attached extra coaches in two trains on Saturday and in A.P. Sampark Kranthi, scheduled leave on Sunday from Nizamuddin.Accordingly, one general second class coach was attached to train No. 12628 New Delhi-Bangalore Karnataka Express and two general second class coaches to train No. 12722 Hazrat Nizamuddin -Hyderabad Dakshin Express departing Hazrat Nizamuddin on Saturday.One general second class coach would be attached to train No. 12708 Hazrat Nizamuddin -Tirupati Andhra Pradesh Sampark Kranthi Express departing from Hazrat Nizamuddin on Sunday, said a press release.

MUMBAI:The Central railway commuters can now heave a sigh from the train delays to atleast some extend. The Kurla Railway Protection Force (RPF) have arrested five people for allegedly stealing Impedence Bond Copper and Auxiliary foils that lead to signal failures and later delays in local trains.

The Railway Protection Force (RPF) had received several complaints about Copper and Auxillary Foils missing from signal boxes that led to signal failures and later local and mail trains delaying.

"Initially it was suspected that trains only got delayed due to rains but we later also learnt that signal failures were happening on the Central and Harbour line due to Copper and Auxillary Foils missing from signal boxes these wires are popular among thieves as they get them good money when sold to scrap merchants as heavy amount of copper and aluminum is in it," said a RPF officials.

In May and June the gang was very active and has delayed local trains several times. Especially between the Ghatkopar and Vikhroli stations their were several incidents of signal failures when the railways investigated with the help of their engineers they found the wires missing and then lodged a complaint with the RPF who is responsible for the property of railways.

While investigation the case the railway protection force officals arrested Suddam Hashmi, Tabrez Idrissi, Abdul Khan, scrap merchant Dhadamchan Jain, Ali Khan and Mohammad Shaikh all from Govandi area.

AS the wires gives good returns to the thieves as well as the scrap merchants they buy it. All the accused have been booked under the Indian railway act 1989.