ProUI

Mass awareness drive takes up at railway stations in Berhampur and Puri

East Coast Railway has started a mass awareness drive to check incidents of looting of money and valuables from passengers by touts and miscreants during the festive rush in trains.

As part of this project, an awareness programme continued at Berhampur railway station on Monday. As per railway authorities similar drive was also taken up at Puri railway station. Such initiative had been started in Bhubaneswar railway station and during next few days such awareness building efforts would be taken up in other major railway stations under East Coast Railway.

The railway authorities had joined hands with personnel of Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) for the purpose. To draw attention of passengers and to pass on the message in entertaining manner, street play, folk dance as well as mock drills was organised at Berhampur railway station.

Assistant security commissioner of East Coast railway P.K.Mansingh said it has been observed that usually passengers are looted by miscreants who use intoxicating narcotics through food materials to make their victims unconscious. Usually these incidents increase during festive season like Durga puja. Mr Mansingh advised all to be cautious and not to accept any food materials from any stranger except from the authorised vendors by the railways.

The awareness campaign started with a realistic mock rescue of a passenger from the Visakha Express, who was shown to be drugged by some miscreants in the train. Most passengers at the station initially felt something real had happened as the actor was carried on a stretcher by policemen. It was followed by a street play ‘Bhul Hoigala’ produced by RPF, Berhampur, which showed up how miscreants befriend gullible passengers and make them eat food materials laced with a sedative. Most attractive part of the campaign was Dhuduki folk dance performance by Alok Bisoi and troupe, who used the popular folk form to pass on the caution of modern era. Pamphlets describing precautions that should be adhered by the passengers for protection against cheats and miscreants were distributed.

Imphal/GUWAHATI: The target to complete the ongoing Jiribam-Tupul-Imphal rail project being executed by the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has been extended to March, 2018, subject to availability of funds, a source said.In November, 2004, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had laid the foundation of the project which will connect Manipur's Jiribam sub-division bordering Assam and Tupul in Manipur's Tamenglong district.Later, the project was extended to Imphal. The government might further extend the rail line up to the border town of Moreh to connect the region with Myanmar and other Southeast Asian countries.If the mode of the current funding level continues, the completion target (from Tupul to Imphal new line section) may have to be extended up to March, 2021, a source said on Monday.A parliamentary committee, comprising 12 MPs, is currently visiting Imphal to obtain a detailed report on planning, implementation and performance of the project. The initial target to complete the project from Jiribam to Tupul was March 2010, a Manipur government source added. The overall progress of work till August, 2013 is about 50 per cent, he added.One of the key factors behind the delay is its resurvey of the alignment for the proposed line to avoid submergence owing to the proposed Tipaimukh hydro-electric project, a source said.Other reasons for the delay are security issues of the survey teams, difficult terrains, land acquisition, militancy, frequent bandhs, ban on railway project work and poor connectivity of NH-37 (Jiribam-Imphal route), the source added. The parliamentary team has been told that construction work in the first 12 km section from Jiribam to Dholakhal has been completed and an engine test run was done in March, 2012.Due to weight restrictions, heavy machinery like shotcrete machines, weighing up to 35 tonnes, cannot be transported in a single piece, the official said, while emphasizing the need to strengthen the two bailey suspension bridges along the deplorable road.Before wrapping up its two-day Manipur visit on Monday afternoon, the parliamentary team, led by Francisco Sardinha, also convened a separate meeting with officials of the textile ministry for promotion of the industry in the state.

Temporary Augmentation of Trains.

HYDERABAD: Seven bogies of a goods train derailed at Vizianagaram railway station this evening, Government Railway Police said.

No one was injured in the mishap, they said. The incident occurred at around 6.45 pm at platform number 5.

One of the rails was broken, which probably caused seven bogies of the Raipur-bound goods train carrying gypsum to derail, according to the preliminary probe.

No one was injured and train movement was not affected as platform number 5 is meant only for goods trains, a GRP officer said.

A team of Lok Sabha's Committee on Estimates arrived here today from Aizawl on a two-day official visit to the State.The team would hold a meeting about Jiribam-Tupul-Imphal railway project and prospects of textile industry in Manipur tomorrow.The team of MPs including Dr Th Meinya was received at Tulihal Airport by Chief Secretary PC Lawmkunga, DGP MK Das and Railway officials.Speaking to media persons at the airport, chairman of the committee Francisco Sardinah said that their visit to Imphal is concerned with the railway project and administration.He went on to say that they are on a goodwill mission.The MPs would hold a meeting with officials of the Northern Frontier Railways at Classic Hotel at 10 am tomorrow and obtain a progress report of the Jiribam-Tupul-Imphal railway project.Later in the afternoon, the MPs would hold another meeting with officials of the Ministry of Textiles and the State Government for an assessment of all the activities taken up in Manipur for development of textile industry in the State.

To clear extra rush of rail passengers during festival season, Railway has decided to run the Festival Special train nos. 01451/01452 Lucknow Jn.- Pune(single trip in each direction)  & 01683/01684 Lucknow Jn.-.Bhopal (8 trips in each direction) Weekly as per the following programme:

01451/ 01452 LUCKNOW JN- PUNE-LUCKNOW JN FESTIVAL SPECIAL (SINGLE TRIP IN EACH DIRECTION)

The 01452  LucknowJn.- Pune. Festival Special train  will depart from Lucknow Jn o­n 01.10.2013 (01 trip) at 07.00 a.m. to reach Pune. at 11.05 a.m. the next day. In the return direction, the 01451 Pune- Lucknow Jn. Festival Special train will depart from Puine on 03.10.2013 (01 trip) at 10.00 p.m. to reach Lucknow Jn. at 02.00 a.m. the next day.

Comprising of One AC II Tier, o­ne AC III Tier, Six Sleeper Class, Six General Class, two disabled friendly Second Class cum Luggage Van coaches, the 01451/01452  Lucknow Jn.- PuneT. Festival Special train will stop at Daund, Ahmednagar, Belapur, Kopargaon, Manmad, Bhusawal, Khandwa, Itarsi, Bhopal, Bina, Jhansi, Orai and Kanpur Central stations enroute in both the directions.

01683/01684LUCKNOW JN- BHOPAL-LUCKNOW JN  FESTIVAL SPECIAL (EIGHT TRIPS IN EACH DIRECTION)

The 01683 Bhopal- Lucknow Jn (Weekly) Festival Special Festival l train will depart from Bhopal  on every Thursday from 10.10.2013 to 28.11.2013 (08 trips) at 10.00 a.m. to reach Lucknow Jn. at 08.35 p.m. the same day. In the return direction, the 01684 Lucknow Jn.-Bhopal (Weekly) Festival Special Festival Special train will depart from Lucknow Jn. o­n every Friday from 11.10.2013 to 29.11.2013 (08 trips) at 00.15 midnight. to reach Bhopal at 11.30 a.m. the same day.

Comprising of One AC II Tier, Two AC III Tier, Ten Sleeper Class, Four General Class and  two  disabled friendly Second Class cum Luggage Van coaches, the 01683/01684 Lucknow Jn.-Bhopal (Weekly) Festival Special  train will stop at Vidisha, Bina, Lalitpur, Jhansi, Orai, Pokhrayan and Kanpur Central stations enroute in both the directions.

Authorities were forced to shut food kiosks on platforms one, three and six after vendors, who have not been paid for two months, stopped supplying goods

The kiosk on platform number 1, which was shut 20 days ago. A costlier privately-run food stall can be seen open on the right Pending bills of suppliers not being cleared for the months of August and September has led to the shutting down of three canteens at Pune Railway Station.

Having gotten themselves into a financial crisis, the Railways’ Pune Division was forced to shut three canteens on platforms one, three and sixtwenty days ago, after vendors stopped supplying goods.

These canteens used to store basic refreshments like biscuits, potato wafers, soft drinks and other snacks made by the railway kitchen.

When contacted by Mirror, Divisional Railway Manager (Pune) Suneet Sharma said, “Suppliers’ payments were not cleared. We will immediately check our accounts and pay them. The canteens will be reopened very soon.”

A total of 14 employees of the khanpan department ran these canteens round the clock. They are now selling vadapavs and samosas, sourced from the railway kitchen, on an irregular basis.   Speaking on condition of anonymity, a staffer said, “We now sell vadapavs and samosas in train compartments or at the station. We are all confused. Mostly, there is no work and we roam in and around the station premises during our respective duty hours.”

These canteens were very popular with passengers, mostly for their affordability. Regular commuter Dev Mule told Mirror, “We have to now buy food from privately-run shops.

Considering that food in such shops is costlier, it is difficult for us to afford.” Another daily passenger, S B Lande,  said, “This is a wrong move by the administration. These canteens should be reopened, as daily passengers like me used to frequent them.”

A. Sampath, MP, will inaugurate a fast by elected representatives on Tuesday in protest against the alleged neglect of the Chirayinkeezhu railway station. The fast, to be held in front of the office of the Divisional Railway Manager here from 10 a.m., will be attended by MLAs and block and grama panchayat representatives. — Staff Reporter

Temporary Augmentation of Trains.

Authorities were forced to shut food kiosks on platforms one, three and six after vendors, who have not been paid for two months, stopped supplying goods

The kiosk on platform number 1, which was shut 20 days ago. A costlier privately-run food stall can be seen open on the right Pending bills of suppliers not being cleared for the months of August and September has led to the shutting down of three canteens at Pune Railway Station.

Having gotten themselves into a financial crisis, the Railways’ Pune Division was forced to shut three canteens on platforms one, three and sixtwenty days ago, after vendors stopped supplying goods.

These canteens used to store basic refreshments like biscuits, potato wafers, soft drinks and other snacks made by the railway kitchen.

When contacted by Mirror, Divisional Railway Manager (Pune) Suneet Sharma said, “Suppliers’ payments were not cleared. We will immediately check our accounts and pay them. The canteens will be reopened very soon.”

A total of 14 employees of the khanpan department ran these canteens round the clock. They are now selling vadapavs and samosas, sourced from the railway kitchen, on an irregular basis.   Speaking on condition of anonymity, a staffer said, “We now sell vadapavs and samosas in train compartments or at the station. We are all confused. Mostly, there is no work and we roam in and around the station premises during our respective duty hours.”

These canteens were very popular with passengers, mostly for their affordability. Regular commuter Dev Mule told Mirror, “We have to now buy food from privately-run shops.

Considering that food in such shops is costlier, it is difficult for us to afford.” Another daily passenger, S B Lande,  said, “This is a wrong move by the administration. These canteens should be reopened, as daily passengers like me used to frequent them.”