Title - Stray dogs scare passengers at railway station

Chandigarh: Chandigarh-bound passengers on board the Delhi-Kalka Shatabdi Express had a taste of hospitality of the Railways when they were greeted by stray dogs on the platform number 1 at the Chandigarh railway station this morning.In the absence of any check by the railway authorities, the stray dogs had ventured on to the platform. Not only passengers, but the visitors who had come to receive their guests were kept at bay by the stray dogs. For quite some time, the dogs virtually did not allow the passengers and commuters to move freely.“I had heard of the stray dog menace on the city roads, but stray dogs at the platform are shocking,” said Gaurav Verma who had come from Delhi.The visitors alleged that the stray dog menace at the station is increasing day-by-day and the authorities are taking no action to resolve it. Sharing their experience, the visitors said they were horrified and scared as the stray dogs roamed freely on the platforms.Another visitor said the seriousness of the authorities to resolve the menace could be made out from the fact that the dogs were squatting in front of the office of assistant station master, who was busy in controlling the rail traffic. He said the official of the railway station on the platform duty when approached had a piece of advice for the passengers to avoid them.Meanwhile, residents of Sector 21 today made a complaint to MC Commissioner VP Singh about the stray dog menace in their area. Sachin Sharma, a resident, stated that the stray dogs have made their lives miserable. If the municipal corporation is helpless on the issue, they should plan to outsource the work of catching and sterilisation them in order to effectively control the menace in the civic body limits.