 Neeraj Badyal
Early Times Report
Samba, May 29: Lack of basic amenities at the Samba railway station for the past several years is causing inconvenience to passengers. Commuters demand early restoration of amenities such as drinking water, public convenience and security in the station.
"It is a village-level station for a city like Samba, which is a big industrial hub of the state. It lacks basic amenities such as drinking water, toilets, waiting complex and most importantly, the transportation," said Sonu Kumar, local resident.
There are no toilets for passengers waiting at the station. The only toilet at the station has been locked. Although tall promises had been made by railway authorities, nothing has improved on the ground, he lamented.
"The station does not have sufficient benches for the passengers, neither is there any good place where one can rest. Moreover, There is no canteen or any food service on the premises, which causes a problem to passengers arriving late at night," Surinder Kumar, a frequent traveller said.
As far as the security is concerned, there are no CCTV cameras at the railway station. A metal detector installed at the entrance lies defunct, he added.
"There is no bus service available to and from the station located in Kalibari village on the outskirts of the town. The nearest point to board a bus is about 4 km away. In the absence of a bus service, the passengers have to either walk a mile or pay hefty amounts for the auto-rickshaws, said Krishan Chand, Sarpanch of Kalibari village.
"We have brought this to the notice of the authorities. Works to raise and extend the platform and other facilities has been under consideration and based on funds availability, the works would be taken up soon, said Vijay Kumar, Senior Railway official. |
