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  Indian Railways News  / Bangalore set for peaceful Eid amid tight security

Bangalore is set to celebrate Eid-ul-Fitr festival in peace Monday marking the end of the month-long Ramadan fast by Muslims amid tight security, as the city gets over the hysteria that caused about 30,000 northeast people to flee during the past three-four days."The situation in Bangalore is under control with no untoward incident during the last two days. Security has been tightened across the city to ensure a peaceful Eid celebration," Karnataka Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar said Sunday in a message greeting Muslims on the festival.With the exodus of northeast people to Guhawati halting Sunday, the state administration and the railways have heaved a sigh though police continued to be vigilant with enhanced security measures, including deployment of Rapid Action Force (RAF), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Karnataka State Reserved Police (KSRP) and City Armed Police (CAR)."About 17,000 personnel drawn from RAF, CRPF, KSRP and CAR have been deployed across the city to ensure peace and maintain law and order. Besides guarding vital installations and VIP areas, patrolling sensitive areas, including localities where minorities and northeast people reside has been intensified," city Police Commissioner Jyotiprakash Mirji told reporters here.In light of union Home Secretary R.K. Singh revealing Saturday that rumours in the form of SMS, MMS and videos of retaliatory attacks on northeast people in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra originated from Pakistan, Shettar appealed to all the northeast people who fled the city since Aug 15 to return to Bangalore and the state as there was no cause to stay away or threat to their safety.

"Thousands of northeast people who rushed to Assam and other northeast states fearing attack should return soon and get back to studies or work as the city is peaceful and full protection will be given to them as others," Shettar said.

Though thousands of Muslims in the coastal areas of the state celebrated Eid Sunday as the moon was seen late Saturday, the fest will be celebrated in Bangalore and other parts of the state Monday.

In a related development, Deputy Chief Minister R. Ashoka, who holds the home portfolio, reviewed the law and order situation and deployment of additional forces in Bangalore and other cities across the state with top police and government officials.

"As evident during the past three-four days, peace prevails in Bangalore and our entire police force is on 24x7 duty across the city to provide protection to the nine-million denizens, especially those from northeast who felt threatened by mischievous elements and hate propaganda by outside forces," he told reporters.

Ashoka also met two Nagaland ministers and senior state police officials, who flew in from Kohima earlier in the day to meet their people living in the city and assure them of their safety and security.

"I have discussed the unfortunate exodus of their people from the city and briefed them on the measures we have taken since Aug 15 to provide fool-proof security to the northeast people in Bangalore and other parts of the state," he said.

Mirji also appealed to traders, shopkeepers, vendors, hoteliers and eateries to keep their business establishments open Monday for ensuring normalcy and facilitate people to buy their requirements.

  Indian Railways News  / 100% hike in rly parking fees likely

Panchkula: Close circuit television cameras, automated entry and exit points and systems generating computerised receipts, these are all going to be installed at the parking lots at Chandigarh Railway Station. These measures to make the parking lots hi-tech will lead to an increase in parking fees.Expected to be enforced from September 1, new parking fees are being increased by around 50 per cent. The hike in the parking fee will affect the commuters who use the 24-hour parking facility at the station. A meeting of the officials in this regard was held recently.The railway authorities claim that the proposal has been drafted, according to which the parking fee for a four-wheeler would be increase from Rs 10 to Rs 20 while for a two wheeler it would be Rs 10 against the existing fee of Rs 5. Similarly, there would be a hike in the fee for vehicles for 24 hours."In fact, the authorities had asked the contractors to install CCTV cameras and automated entry and exit barriers at the parking lots in order to curb vehicle thefts. They had also been asked to procure systems for providing computer-generated receipts to commuters," said Station Superintendent of the railway station Praveen Kumar. "The contractors proposed the hike which is being considered by the authorities," he added."At a recent meeting, we had discussed the proposed hike in the existing parking rates. After taking suggestions from the parking contractors, the railway officials and a cross section of passengers, the proposal was drafted," said a senior official. "The proposal was sent to the Ambala division headquarters and even it has almost approved the same," he added.

An official of the Ambala division headquarters said, "Another meeting is scheduled for the next week. Hopefully, the new parking rates will be implemented from September 1".

"The existing parking lots are totally mismanaged. Visitors generally park their vehicles haphazardly because of which sometimes major brawls take place," said Vikas Sharma, a resident of Sector-11, Panchkula.

Tanisha Galhotra, a resident of sector-21, said, "There have been cases where not only vehicles have been stolen but also visitor's belongings. I believe safety measures should be enhanced".

  Indian Railways News  / No more special trains from south, pleads Gogoi

The Assam government has requested the railways not to run anymore special trains to the state to ferry panic-stricken Northeast people from southern states in view of assurance of security given by the concerned state governments to the people from the region living in those states.Another special train arrived in Guwahati on Monday from Bangaluru carrying more Northeast people who have fled their place of work and study in the southern state because of the 'threat' doing round out there. Many of those alighted from the special train, however, said they were willing to go back once the things improved.Mawinu, hailing from Manipur, was working at a private company in Bangaluru, came in the special train but with an intention to go back. Similarly, some others like Karunakanta Lahan (Sivasagar), Bipul Hazarika (Dibrugarh), Sanjib Gogoi (Marigaon), Dipak Hazarika (Marigaon) and Putul Saikia (Marigaon), who have come back in the same train, said that they would also go back at the earliest as they haven't come back lock, stock and barrel."I have left behind all my belongings with my friends in Bangalore. I will go back once everything comes back to normal," Mawinu said.In view of improving security situation for NE people in southern states, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi [ Images ] has requested the railways not to provide any more special trains for such mass evacuation of panic-gripped people.

Gogoi said most of those who have rushed back home in a hurry were now willing go back especially after they came to know that their jobs were still intact and there would be no salary cut for their absence under the special circumstances.

The four senior cabinet ministers from Assam who were deputed to Bangalore and Chennai to take stock of the situation and ensure security for people from the state living out there in coordination with local governments have also sent across messages that there was nothing to be worried about for NE people in those states anymore.

Gogoi has instructed the legislators of ruling Congress to fan out to different parts of the state to meet people who have come back home out of panic leaving their jobs and study behind, and persuade them to go back as soon as possible.

  Indian Railways News  / 15 मीटर सांप ने पांच घंटे तक रोकी ट्रेनें ब्लास्ट के साथ ट्रेक्सन तार टूटा

रविवार को जमुई व चौरा हॉल्ट के बीच बिजली (ट्रेक्सन) तार टूट जाने से जसीडीह स्टेशन होकर चलने वाली डाउन लाइन की ट्रेनें करीब पांच घंटे बाधित रहीं. प्रत्यक्षदर्शियों के अनुसार तार पर करीब 15 मीटर का सांप के गिर जाने के कारण स्पार्किग होकर तार टूट गया.इससे ट्रेनों का परिचालन बाधित हो गया. पावर फेल हो जाने के कारण नागल गुरुमुखी ट्रेन चौरा के पास खड़ी हो गयी. बाद में उक्त ट्रेन को दूसरे इंजन की सहायता से गिद्धौर लाया गया. झाझा स्टेशन प्रबंधक एस सोरेन ने बताया कि 9:36 बजे से 1:47 बजे दिन तक डाउन लाइन पूरी तरह बाधित रही.पावर यान आने के बाद पावर ठीक कर परिचालन शुरू किया गया. इससे जसीडीह में यात्रियों को परेशानी का सामना करना पड़ा. ट्रेनों के परिचालन में अचानक रुकावट आने और चलने की निर्धारित समय आने की सूचना नहीं मिलने से यात्री कभी रेलवे पूछताछ तो कभी सहायक स्टेशन प्रबंधक कार्यालय का चक्कर लगा कर परेशान थे.
तार टूटने से 12304 डाउन पूर्वा सुपर फास्ट, 13008 डाउन तूफान एक्सप्रेस, 17006 दरभंगा-हैदराबाद एक्सप्रेस, 18184 दानापुर-टाटा एक्सप्रेस, नागलडैम कोलकात्ता तिरहुत एक्सप्रेस, 63568 डाउन इएमयू घंटों बाधित रही. दिन के करीब दो बजे पहली ट्रेन नागलडैम-कोलकात्ता जसीडीह स्टेशन पहुंची. इसके बाद ट्रेनों का परिचालन शुरू हो गया.

  Indian Railways News  / The Hindu : Life & Style / Kids : Science on wheels

All of you would have travelled by train at some time or the other. Train journeys are fun. But here was a special train that chugged into the Vijayawada railway station and stopped, waiting for visitors to come take a look.

Displays

The Science Express — Biodiversity Special (SEBS), a collaborative initiative of the Department of Science and Technology and Ministry of Environment and Forests, was a unique mobile science exhibition focussing on biodiversity and climate change, mounted on a customised 16-coach air conditioned train.

Students of local schools enjoyed a carnival-like atmosphere when they were taken to the railway station to find out more about climate change. Making the best of the opportunity, local school managements made arrangements for visit of their children to the mobile exhibition. Excited kids gaped awe-struck at the images lined up along either side of the coaches. Walking in neat rows, they paused for a closer look at some of the depictions and discussed the subject with their friends before stepping ahead. Some of them pulled out their notes and began to jot down important information.

Volunteers standing at every short distance were only too happy to explain to the kids about the concepts behind the exhibits.

Before arriving in Vijayawada, the Science Express had covered 68,000 km across the country. With over 65 lakh visitors at its 230 halts over 830 exhibition days, the Science Exhibition was the largest, longest and most visited mobile expo in India.

The mobile exhibition was launched on June 5, on World Environment Day at Delhi. The main objective of introducing the train was to create awareness on biodiversity of India, climate change and similar issues, especially among students.

See and learn

The impressive working models and illustrations inside the coaches showcased the myriad biodiversity spread across the geographical zones of India — the Trans-Himalaya and Himalayas, the Gangetic Plain, North East India, the dessert and semi-arid zone, the Western Ghats, the Deccan Peninsula and the coasts and islands.

Ahmedabad-based Vikram A. Sarabhai Community Science Centre (VASCSC) and Centre for Environment Education (CEE), along with their knowledge partners, developed and put up this unique exhibition-on-wheels.