Railways rally with Ekta for Paswan

Although the function has little to do with the Railways, more than 60 of its workers, three trucks, telephone connections and a huge amount of material has been used to construct a huge dais and other arrangements at the venue.

Newspersons visiting the site found that the dais, which has been constructed to accommodate around 200 chairs, has been built by workers belonging to the office of Divisional Engineer (DEN) and Inspector of Works (IOW) of the Central Railway in three days. The dais is made up of numerous metallic ACC crips (channels), used in the construction of railway bridges, stacked together. The channels are then topped with wooden railway sleepers and filled in with sand to give it the required strength.

To top it all, the dais has been covered with huge tent cloth, also belonging to Central Railway. Workers present at the venue told this reporter that two of them have been purchased specifically for the purpose. The wide steps to the dais is made of railway sleepers stacked on each other, covered with tent cloth, which has been nailed down to the wood.

Sources said that three trucks belonging to the Nagpur division of the Central Railway have been deputed for services at the venue. One of the truck bears the number MH-31 7082. Also a temporary tent has been set up at the venue by the railways and a telephone connection provided so that the workers could easily remain in connection with the office and requisite whatever material needed.

A huge banner proclaiming the rally was being prepared by the railway workers on Sunday afternoon, while the trucks had been dispatched to collect rail grinders, which were to be used to put up the banner behind the stage.

The rally organisers also seem to have a keen sense of aesthetics, going by the number of pots of decorative plants at the venue — all lifted from the Nagpur Railway Station. Needless to say catering arrangement for the rally has been made by the canteen of the Central Railway.