Tags:
Journalism of Courage
MUMBAI, June 13: Guru Tegh Bahadur Nagar station, better known as Koliwada, is like any other station on the Central Railway line 8212; small, dirty and surrounded by slums. But if the proposal submitted by a group headed by the Gurudwara Joga Singhji is accepted by the Railways, these images will soon be a thing of the past.
Thirteen organisations that include four gurudwaras, a Hari mandir, a mosque and a church have offered to renovate, redesign and maintain the station at their own cost, without assistance 8211; monetary or otherwise acirc;euro;ldquo; from the Railway authorities.
At Rs 3.5 crore, this secularist8217;s dream doesn8217;t come cheap. But the eclectic group is unfazed. 8220;The money will come from the people,8221; asserts Manmohan Singh Sehgal, a trustee of the Joga Singhji gurudwara. 8220;Those who cannot provide finance will help out by working on the project. We will try not to employ workers but get people to help carry out the work,8221; he adds. 8220;The railway is public property and the authorities cannot be expected to do everything. Somewhere, we citizens must take the responsibility,8221; he explains.
Plans include building of arches at the entrances to the station and a joggers8217; park and a row of trees outside. A ticket counter on the ground floor will be demolished and converted into a landscaped area with a water fountain, plants and seats. Rose gardens for the land surrounding the station and a rock garden inside have also been planned. And a fence will separate the slums from thestation area. The plan doesn8217;t end there. Once the station is renovated and beautified 8212; which is expected to take around two years 8212; the group will concentrate on solid waste management, prevention of encroachments and storm water drainage. It also plans to employ guards to assist the GRP in policing the station. 8220;This will reduce instances of chain-snatching, urchins getting into ladies compartments and the like,8221; says Sehgal.
Railway sources maintain that the authorities are 8220;favourably inclined8221; towards the proposal and that it is only a matter of time before the Railways sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the group.
Additional division manager Central Railway P S Gupta points out that there are some issues 8220;which will have to be sorted out8221; before the Railways give the green signal. According to the proposal, a part of the railway station will be painted with portraits of Guru Tegh Bahadur. This, says Gupta, could cause a minor problem. 8220;The Railways do not allow portraits ofreligious in its precincts. Also, the beautification should not impede the movement of the trains,8221; he adds.
